


You Can Relate to at Least One of those Things, Right?

by RiceQueen



Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Child Abuse, Eventual Smut, Gay, Jurassic Park - Freeform, Jurassic World, M/M, Owen is pretty gay, Raptor Squad, Romance, Slow Burn, So is Zach, baby blue - Freeform, in my head, owen and blue are super close though, time skip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 04:51:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4291419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiceQueen/pseuds/RiceQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach goes to Jurassic World with bruises and no expectations. He would do anything for Gray, but when he meets Owen Grady? Well. That's when things get complicated. After the chaotic events of Jurassic World, he returns with Owen Grady to try and fix the things that went wrong at the park, and between them. (Underage prior to time-skip, no legitimate sexual acts, strictly thoughts.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. If Anything Chases You, Run.

**Author's Note:**

> Eyy! First Jurassic World story. Not incredible, but I hope you like it! Very slow burn, and I intend to go through most of the movie before touching on any brand new content. I have no beta, so mistakes are my own. Let me know what you think.

“I don't want to go to Jurassic World. It's for kids.”

“You're going. You can't argue with me on this, Zach.”

The teenager in question had to fight the urge to obediently lower his head, and instead clenched his fists as he stood his ground. 

“I don't want to go, Scott.”

Suddenly Zach wasn't staring at his father anymore, but at the fireplace inside their home. On the mantle was a family photo taken just after Gray was born, back when things were better. The pain seeped into his brain then, the flesh of his cheek already blazing red. Tears stung his eyes at the sudden blow, and Zach let his breath out in a rush through his nose. Turning back to his father, he said nothing and strode passed him upstairs to his room, away from the confrontation. Taking the steps two at a time, he slammed his door shut and locked it.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go on this trip. Not really. But since when had his aunt wanted anything to do with them? She didn't even call them for their birthdays, not to mention the lack of cards on Christmas. Why should be bother spending time with someone who couldn't give two shits about him?

Zach touched his cheek gingerly, feeling the sting and hot skin beneath his fingers. He should probably ice it, but he didn't really feel up to going back downstairs just yet. That was a fight he knew he wasn't going to win. Sitting on the edge of his un-made bed, Zach looked out the window. His mother and Gray would be home soon, and no doubt the youngest Mitchell would be dying to share stories of his day. He had been chosen to participate in a high school biology competition, and as a result got to spend the day with the kids in Zach's own school. He was a genius, and Zach was envious of the attention he got. His cheek stung as he flexed his jaw, and he grimaced.

Perhaps no attention was better than any attention at all.

A van door slammed outside, and Zach pulled his curtains shut quickly. His mother wouldn't want to see him like this. She always got hurt over it. But if she did, it was easy enough to cover up. Another fight at school, or something like that. Since he didn't have any afternoon classes and didn't make a particularly good effort to make friends, it wouldn't be hard to believe. He sighed as he heard the door open and Gray instantly pounce on their father, chattering about something he didn't fully comprehend. Pulling out his phone, thirteen unopened messages from Veronica, he opened the camera app and looked at the damage to his face. It would probably bruise. He'd have to come up with something.

But that would come later. Right now he wanted to relax. To forget everything for a while. And so he pulled on his headphones and cranked the volume on his phone, deciding that when his 45% battery was used he would go downstairs. It was going to be a while.

 

It was around midnight when the battery died, and Zach woke up as the current song halted in the middle of the second chorus. Staring at his ceiling, he vaguely wondered if anyone had knocked for him. He debated getting up to find something to eat, and almost didn't get up until his bladder forced the idea of falling back asleep right out of his mind. He let his phone and headphones fall onto his comforter and he exited his room quietly, turning the lock as gently as he was able. 

The floor was cool on his bare feet as he made his way downstairs and to the kitchen, the house silent. Or at least it would have been, if not for the sounds coming from the living room. Curious and already knowing the answer, Zach entered the living room to find their television on and very softly playing a documentary about dinosaurs. Gray sat on the chair in the corner, blanket wrapped around his slim shoulders as his wide eyes took in every detail. He didn't notice his older brother until Zach stood fully in the light of the program.

“Zach!” Gray gasped and grabbed the remote, pausing the show. He quieted his voice with his next words, looking guilty, “I uh... I wanted to watch it right away.” Zach smirked at his brother, knowing full well it would be all to easy to get the little one in trouble. But instead he whispered back, “I'll be right back. I gotta take a piss.” As he turned around and headed for the bathroom, he chuckled at the reply, “You shouldn't say 'piss'...”

Zach returned to the living room after stopping in the kitchen for two peanut butter sandwiches, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. He gestured with his chin for Gray to move, and the younger did so without hesitation. Moving out of the chair was a small price to pay for being allowed to watch his show. His brother sat down and put the plate on the side table, before crossing his legs and nodding towards his lap. Gray hesitated then, but moved to sit on his brothers lap without a word. It was seldom these days that they got to spend time alone, to hang out as brothers. Zach wolfed down the sandwiches and pressed play on the television while Gray munched on the cookies, careful to avoid leaving any crumbs as evidence.

The documentary was half over by the time either of them spoke.

“What happened to your face?”

It was almost a whisper, but Zach paused on chewing his second cookie, before finishing and swallowing heavily.

“Just a fight Gray. Don't worry about it.”

“I do worry about it.”

“I know.”

A silence once more.

“You couldn't wait to watch the documentary until tomorrow, huh?”

“No. I'll watch it tomorrow too. But I wanted a preview. And...”

“Too good to stop?”

“Mmm.”

Zach chuckled into the brown curls, checking the clock on the wall. Gray would need to go to bed as soon as this was over. But for now, letting him stay up would be fine, right? 

The documentary came to a close, and Zach turned it off. Gray was falling asleep in his lap, and the teenager carefully manoeuvred his brother onto the chair while he put the empty plate in the dishwasher. Returning, he found Gray fighting to keep his eyes open. “Alright, come on,” he murmured, collecting the boy in his arms and turning for the stairs. 

After he had tucked Gray into his bed, and removed all the hard plastic dinosaurs from the bed in case of tossing and turning, Zach made to leave the room. 

“Zach?”

“Mm?”

“It was Dad, wasn't it?”

Zach paused at the door, briefly considering lying to him. The internal argument resulted in an extended silence and that was all the answer Gray needed. He didn't wait for an answer, and asked another question, if only to make up for the last. 

“Are you coming with me to Jurassic World?”

Mind still racing, Zach nodded before remembering it was pitch black in the room. His throat dry, he swallowed so he might speak, “Yeah. Of course. We go together.”

“Okay.”

The day came quickly that they were to leave for their trip. The bruise on his face had healed, and he kept the new ones on his back hidden and moved carefully so as not to irritate them. Veronica was waiting for him, her light hair bright in the morning sun. Inside his mother was trying to hurry Gray up, and his father paced beside the car, talking quietly and quickly to someone on his cell. Ignoring the feeling of unease in his gut, Zach tried his best to focus on what Veronica was saying.

“And make sure to text me, so I don't forget what you look like.” 

“Yeah, you uh, mentioned that before already. I will.”

He wondered very briefly how he had managed to get a girlfriend in the first place. He chanced a look at his father, and noticed the calculating stare he was receiving. Turning back to the girl in front of him, he kissed her mid sentence, allowing for his tongue to delve into her mouth. It wasn't that kissing her was unpleasant, it was just... well. She wasn't his type. At all.

And he didn't really have a type. Except that in head head, all his partners were boys. 

He parted from her quickly, smoothly smirking down at her dazed expression. In his head he was mildly disgusted with himself for forcing himself to continue the charade, but another glance at his father earned him an approving nod. He just had to keep it a secret. For how long he didn't know. Already she was talking, her voice sweet and totally in love. He nodded and 'mm'd' at all the right places, and rested his hands on her arms to keep her from trying to kiss him again. 

The car honked, and Zach realized at some point his mother and Gray had gotten into the van. 

“Come on, Zach, you're not going to war here.” 

“-and text me pics so I don't forget what you look like.”

“Ah. Right. Sure. Bye.”

“Bye!”

Zach hurried towards the van, to his mother and brother more like. There was nothing else in this world for him. He got into the car in a foul mood, and headphones at the ready. His father and mother turned towards him at the same time. 

“I know it's hard, sweetie.”

“You gonna be okay?”

Biting back the retort building on his tongue, Zach glowered at them both and put on his music. Beside him, Gray grinned, and that was something Zach could be happy about. If his brother was happy, all was well in his world. 

The ride to the airport was uneventful to say the least. In the back of his mind, a fear of his father lingered and he tried very hard to play it cool. Gray and Scott's relationship was still good, at least to his own knowledge. And the last time he'd told his mother she had confronted his father, and... well that hadn't really gone too well for anyone. Divorce was brought up, and even though Zach knew he could handle it he wasn't sure if Gray could. It was better for his brother if he kept quiet.

His music wasn't actually on, but the headphones served as a shield to prevent anyone from wanting to talk to him. He stood beside Gray and tried to keep his mind on task, but it continued to race off track. Would his mother be alright after they left? Did Scott still suspect he was gay? He hoped not. He'd been especially good these last few months. But any small thing could spur an argument these days, worse than before Gray was born. Zach felt responsible, at least partly, for their deteriorating marriage. If he hadn't brought that boy home...

“-hey, take these. Can you take these? Honey?”

Zach emerged from his inner ramblings with a grimace, taking the plane tickets from his mother. “Yeah, I got them,” he murmured, shouldering his bag higher on his arm and letting one side of his headphones slide off his ear. 

“Hey, listen to your mother.”

Zach cringed and nodded, plastering on a fake smile as he turned to his mother. She was saying goodbye to Gray, and Zach didn't much feel like making a scene with Scott. It wasn't worth it in the privacy of his own home, and it definitely wasn't worth it in an airport. 

“Hey, answer your phone, okay? It's the green button. When you see my name, push it, okay?”

“Yeah, for sure.” And he promised himself he would, because if there was someone he didn't want to push away from, it was his mother. He'd get out of the house soon enough. Gray would be alright, surely. It would be easier on him if he thought Zach didn't care though. The teenager pondered this as once more his mother kissed Gray. The kid was a cutie for sure, but this send off seemed to drag on. 

“And remember. If anything chases you, run.” 

Right, because things were going to chase them.

“Ah, haha, right mom. Bye.”

It wasn't like anything bad would happen at all.


	2. Not a Man Who Needs Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mitchell's near their hotel room and Owen sneaks his Baby Blue a snack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! This is awesome! I didn't expect so much love. 
> 
> I appreciate every compliment. I had a hard day at work and was very unhappy until I got home and read my feedback. Because of that, I edited this chapter up very quickly and decided to post it. I wanted to have a few in case I don't have a lot of time to write, so I can still release a chapter once a week. If you guys would rather I post them right away, and deal with the droughts as they come, let me know.
> 
> I do intend to have a happy ending to this story by the way. There won't be as much death as in the movie, though still some. It will be graphic.

The plane ride there was uneventful. Zach opted to pretend to be asleep, when actual sleep evaded him. Gray pulled out a large book and read the entire way upon realizing that his brother was not in a talkative mood. Whatever connection they had had the night they watched the documentary seemed to have vanished. Gray had noticed his brother becoming reclusive, even more than usual. As his fathers mood darkened, Zach avoided his family more and more. His mother had asked if the two boys were fighting, but Gray had been honest in saying nothing of the sort had gone on. There were a few times Zach had smiled, and looked like he wanted to say something, to laugh and to join Gray in whatever it was he was up to. But then he would stop, and his mouth would close, and the headphones would go on.

It was peculiar.

Gray knew these things. He saw them and puzzled over them every day. What he did not know was that Zach was purposely being scarce. From his point of view, every time he and Gray did something together they got closer and more attached. When Zach left in a few years, it would be easier to cut ties from home if there was nothing holding him there. And Gray was part of that. 

Scott and Gray still got on alright. If Zach was out of the picture, perhaps the odds of his parents staying together were better. Maybe they could work things out without an angsty gay teenager to raise. At least that was what he thought.

So, on the plane while Gray read his book, which really should have been a coffee table book, Zach pretended to sleep. Because it was the only way.

The plane landed and they boarded a cruise ship which would ferry them to Isla Nublar. 

“How big is the island?”

“Big.”

“But how big? How many pounds?”

“That doesn't even make sense.”

The energy of kids would never fail to amaze him, despite barely being more than a kid himself. Zach wasn't sure if it was a universal thing or if it was Gray-specific. He watched the head of brown curls eagerly bounce to the top of the ramp and chuckled to himself. “Gray, wait up. Slow down!”  
Zach remembered that Gray had always wanted to see the ocean, especially up close. He purposely shoved his way through the crowd of people to the front, knowing without a doubt that Gray would follow him. He leaned on the rail, idly stretching his limbs and glancing back to make sure his brother was still there. The youngest Mitchell was grinning, and pointing at the various sea birds flying overhead. 

“Zach! Zach! Zach? Zach, look, it's a sea eagle!” 

He pointed, jumping up and down while tugging on the sleeve of Zach's shirt. The brother in question turned to look at it, just a silhouette in the bright sun. Its wings were broad and it flew low enough for him to see the outline of each feather. 

“Yeah. Pretty cool.”

Way cool. 

Gray, undeterred by his brothers seeming nonchalance, eagerly turned his attention to the waters below. Probably looking for whales or a shark or something. He was lucky he took lessons over the summer, because the kid was not the athletic type at all. Swimming hadn't come easy, but he could tread water at least. Zach was a good swimmer, but he was still uncertain he could save Gray from the ocean if he fell in. 

Taking his eyes off the rolling waves beneath the boat, Zach stretched out further on the rail and took up as much space as he could. This way, by his logic, Gray would be unable to come close to falling in before Zach could grab him. In doing so, he also took note of a few girls on the ship deck below, looking up at him and giggling.

Was it a thing? Were girls always attracted to guys who are gay? Zach didn't know. He thought perhaps they had a radar or something.

A Gaydar.

Hah.

Gray looked from the girls to his brother, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You have a girlfriend you know,” he muttered, looking at his brother disapprovingly. Zach turned, hiding his frown, “Yeah, I know.” Shaking his head, the younger brother snorted, and turned towards the view once more. This time, staring right at Isla Nublar. “Zach!”

This time, Zach did look right away. And he couldn't keep the smile off his face. “Yeah, we're here.”

The brothers watched the the island grow larger as they approached. Smaller details became visible, signs and buildings partially hidden with the dense foliage. The jungle was thick, and even the white sand beached were not free of encroaching vines and trees which bent over the dunes. Bright coloured birds darted through the sky, and Zach pointed at a vibrant green one that flew very close.

“Gray! Get your camera!”

Gray jolted from his enamoured daze, and took his camera out of his bag. Very carefully he put the strap around his neck and raised it to his eyes, snapping pictures of the birds, and zooming in with a gentle breath. The excitement around him disappeared as he concentrated, steady hands waiting for the perfect shot. The bird swooped down towards the trees, and he pressed the button. 

Zach was never more proud of his brother than when he had a camera in his hands. The kid was a genius, but where his parents were pushing academics, Gray was most passionate about photography. His room was littered with dozens of different cameras and accessories, in particular antiques which could no longer be used. One summer they spent with their grandparents in the country, and the boys had stumbled into the attic with the promise of cookies and lemonade if they organized it. They didn't clean it so much as played around, and relocated a lot of boxes, but they did get the sweet treats none the less. That was where he found a vintage camera and had started into the hobby. Of course their grandma let him have it, cumbersome stand and all. Zach spent half the summer lugging it around for Gray, who was too small still to lift much of anything heavy. And then, like now, Zach didn't mind at all.

Zach grinned as his little brother kept the camera around his neck, storing the lenses in the pouch at his waist. The older Mitchell made fun of him relentlessly for having that stupid thing, but he supposed it had proven it's worth a few times over. 

“Come on Gray, we gotta get off now.” 

Resting a firm hand on Gray's shoulder, Zach wove them through the crowd of people who didn't seem to want to get off the boat. He noticed quite a few of them were leaning over the rail, vomiting into the ocean and changed his thoughts. Or, maybe they just weren't quite ready to leave the boat. Either way, they had to find Aunt Claire. 

After several minutes mulling about in the crowd, searching for the lady they had seen so often on the mantle of their fireplace at home, they spotted a woman with a plaque in her hands. Not even a sign, no, a legitimate plaque. Who gets a plaque done? Probably some rich people. VIP's no doubt. Zach hoped he wouldn't have to meet them if they were that stuck up. He said as much to Gray, who squinted at the woman to get a better look. 

“Um, Zach? I think that's us.”

Zach squinted too, but remained unable to see properly. He really needed to get a pair of glasses. Gray headed towards the lady, and Zach followed by his side, giving a brief nod towards the dark haired woman. He could now read the sign, and it did in fact have their names engraved on it. The woman was looking passed them, clearly not having any idea who she was trying to find.

“Uh, hello?” Zach tried again to catch her attention, coming to a full stop in front of her. 

“Oh! Hello! Are you kids Zachary and Gray Mitchell?” 

Gray shuffled his feet, and turned away from her to look up at Zach disappointedly. Zach squeezed his hand briefly, and responded to her.

“Where's Aunt Claire?”

“She has a very important meeting right now. But I'll be taking you to the visitor's centre to meet her after you've settled in. My name is Zara, I'm her personal assistant.”

Zach glanced at Gray and then shrugged. Honestly he wasn't sure what he expected. “Okay, well. Lead the way I guess.”

“Of course! Right this way!” Zara was still smiling, trying her best to impress them. Zach could see it. But she was trying too hard. She was going about this the wrong way. They weren't investors or important people who ran the park. They were guests. Whatever.

“Come on Gray, we'll see Aunt Claire later.” Gray nodded, still looking crestfallen, as Zara took them through the crowd. Zach tried to keep his anger hidden, but his posture and mood definitely reflected it. The humidity was intense compared to back home, and sweat crawled down his back. As much as he tried to keep close to Gray, the smaller boy easily slide through the gaps in the crowd of people, and eventually went far enough ahead to make Zach uncomfortable. Beside him, Zara was concerned over the same thing but for different reasons. “Gray!” She waved her arm to get his attention, “Does he ever slow down?”

“Nope.”

They got up the escalator and into the tram without incident, and that was about the time Zach started to get angry. Could Claire really not spare enough time to meet them? From what his mother had said she was supposed to be with them the whole time. He was pissed off, and wasn't entirely sure he could avoid taking it out on Gray if the boy talked to him. The tram was very full, and it gave him an excuse to sit and brood for a while. Zara took a seat behind them, and was blocked in by another passenger instantly. Her nose pinched, and Zach felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. She wasn't used to public transport it seemed. The slight improvement of his mood was not enough to keep him from putting his headphones in place, glaring out the window. Stupid Claire. 

“Zach, look,” Gray tugged at his sleeve, practically sprawling over Zach's lap as he looked out the window. Zach couldn't hear what was going on, but one second his brother was there beside him and the next he was rushing to the front of the tram. “Gray!” He called out, and called louder than he meant to because of his music, and watched at they approached the gateway to the park. It was old, some twenty years, but the lettering had been redone. Instead of Jurassic Park, they now entered Jurassic World. He held onto the seat in front of him as he stared, headphones still blaring. Making sure to keep a watchful eye on his brother, Zach leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs. He just wanted this trip to be over with.

-

Owen Grady wasn't a man who needed much. Not really. Give him a safe place to sleep, a bottle of tequila, and his motorcycle and he was content. At least mostly. 

When he took the job at Jurassic World he expected his bank account to go sky high. He didn't really need it for anything, but it was always nice to know he had something to fall back onto. The hazard pay was a great addition to his salary, for sure. But he wasn't in it for the money. In fact he wasn't really sure why he agreed to the job in the first place, or what kept him here before his girls.

Watching them hatch was the first thing he fell in love with. Velociraptors weren't exactly known for their great temperament. But the first one to hatch was his Baby Blue. He had leaned over the incubation box, and watched with fascination as she forced her way out of the hard shell. Fiery orange eyes stared out at him, already scanning the environment for safety. For food. Owen picked her up despite the disapproving words of the scientists around him. Something about testing. But Owen held her gently against his chest, letting her feel his warmth and his heartbeat. His shirt was dirty from a hard days work getting the enclosure ready, and he smelt of earth and his own sweat. But she wasn't afraid. Not his Baby Blue. The raptor made a purring noise in the back of her throat, and pushed her nose into his shirt to further inspect him. When all she found was breathing, and a sturdy place to rest, she relaxed against him. 

Imprinting was not something that came easy. It would take a very long time for his Baby Blue to trust him near enough to keep holding her this way. But for now, the newborn hatchling was content in his embrace and that was enough. That day Owen made a nest for her out of his own clothes, having brought an extra shirt and pants. The scientists insisted she be tested and weighed to ensure her health, but Owen argued with Dr. Wu until he was allowed to do it all himself. He would not let anyone else touch her, not when this time was so important to the imprinting process. And so, he conducted these tests himself, ever careful not to harm the creature under his care. In the weeks that followed, he did the same for Delta, Charlie, and Echo. He would never let anything hurt his girls.

Owen grinned, looking down at the dead rat in his hands. That felt like so long ago. And, he admonished himself, it really wasn't. The raptors had been given special genes to make them grow faster, so his girls were now their full size. He stood in the gated entrance to the paddock, the sunlight blocked by bright unnatural lights. Owen waited at the door, sitting in the shade as the guards gave the signal to turn out the lights. There would be enough daylight to do what they had to, before night fell and they would need the security the lights brought. Own never had to worry about that, but they did.

“Blue? Blue, where are you, girl?” 

Owen whispered this, but he knew his girl would hear. He could't let the other people at the compound know just how close his bond with his raptors was. But here, even in daylight, they were concentrated more on keeping Vic's men away. Though Owen was hesitant to tell them the full story between him and his raptors, he knew he could trust them with that. 

He heard the gentle pats of scaled feet on the dirt before he saw anything. Even then he couldn't quite tell where they were coming from. But where there was nothing before, Blue stood in front of him. Her back was arched, and she kept her head low so she could easily sneak to the bars. The growth of trees at the sides would shelter her from any prying eyes. Owen smiled at her, and put the rat down on the ground at his feet. Blue watched him carefully, and though her eyes followed the rat, they rested on her Alpha in the end. “I don't have it in my hands anymore, see?” He showed her his empty palms, and she made a quiet noise in her throat to acknowledge him. Even though he trusted her, it was always a good idea to make sure she knew he didn't have food in his hands. One wrong idea on her end meant that he could lose an arm.

Owen was still smiling, as he reached through the bar, and rested his hand on the end of her nose. Blue growled, but pressed into the touch after resisting the urge to chomp it off. “That's my girl.” His Beta sniffed at his hand, opening her deadly jaws to scratch her teeth on his hand. A gesture she had learned long ago would get his attention, and usually on the thing that she wanted. Owen pulled his hand back and chuckled, wiping the pinpricks of blood off on his shirt. “Okay, okay. Relax Blue.” He snatched the rat from the ground and tossed it towards her in the same gesture. Blue caught it easily, and swallowed it in a single gulp. She pressed her face against the bars to get close to him, and purred again. Laughing, Owen stepped up to the cage so his whole body rested against it. 

This was something they did infrequently these days. Any time they spent together was with bars between them. Owen missed the days his girls would curl up on the couch in his bungalow, nipping at each others toes so they could get the place on his chest. Back when they were just little things that slept in his bed with him. But now, Blue heard his heartbeat and she melted. She gurgled not unlike she did when she was a hatchling, and Owen stroked the stripe on her neck. 

“That's my Baby Blue.”

And then he heard Vic yelling, and he stepped back. Blue jumped at the sudden movement, and raised her head in the opposite direction. She knew his scent, and usually it came with being strapped into those holding cells. Owen sighed, watching her run into the trees to hide. He had an idiot to deal with now. Already missing his girl, Owen pressed the button to unlock the entranceway and hardened his features. Today was the day he demonstrated his “control” of the raptors, because he hadn't been sending in his reports. Some sort of punishment, he suspected. 

With a last glance over his shoulder, Owen closed the cage and sighed. 

So nobody would know how safe he was with his raptors. That was fine. He wasn't a man who needed much.

Nope. Give him his safe place to sleep, a bottle of tequila, his motorcycle, and his raptors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks! I love all of you. For real. Every time I get a kudos or a compliment my inner self dances in circles and throws daisies around.


	3. Don't Eat the Employees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids see Claire, and Owen takes control of a tricky situation. Blue is hungry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really did not expect so much love. Please let me know what I can do better, or what you'd like to see in future chapters! Remember it is not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> I'm eager to know what you think of my raptors.

It was in the hotel room that Zach tried to call his mom. He idly fiddled with his wristband, pulling it back and letting it snap against his wrist while he tried to get through. It took a moment, but eventually the line picked up. 

“Hello?” 

Not his mother. Zach bit the side of his mouth, trying to stay calm. His pulse quickened despite his efforts, and a harsh breath left his lungs. 

“Hey. Where's Mom?”

“She's out right now.”

“Without her phone?”

“Yes.”

Zach leaned against the counter clenching his fist and feeling his heart stutter. “Okay. Well we got here okay. Will you tell her please?”

“Yeah.”

The line went dead. Well.

“Fuck you too...” he muttered darkly, slipping his cell back into his pocket. So even his mother wasn't immune to Scott's controlling behaviour. He should have known. Scowling at himself in the mirror, Zach tried to put a smile on, at least for Gray. The kid would probably jump off the balcony to get out of the hotel room if they stayed here for much longer. He could hear his little brother pestering Zara with a million questions at once, and eventually the woman knocked on the bathroom door sharply. 

“Zachary? You okay in there? We are heading out as soon as you're finished.”

Still trying to compose himself, Zach nodded before remembering she couldn't actually see him. He cleared his throat, “Uh, yeah. I'll be right there.” Zach threw some cold water on his face and dried himself off, blinking at his reflection in the mirror.

Not really bland. His lips were a little big, in his own opinion. He puckered them and blew a kiss at himself, before chuckling. He wasn't that narcissistic. Zach left the bathroom still angry, but now not just at Claire. He hoped his mom was okay. Karen was a strong woman, but physically she was a lot weaker than Scott. And Zach wasn't around to be the scapegoat. 

“Come on, Zach! Let's go! Please? I want to go see the Tyrannosaurus Rex!” 

Gray was practically bouncing off the walls, and had taken all the essentials out of his backpack to put in the pouch on his waist. There wasn't much room for any of his specialized camera lenses, and he had opted to bring only a few extra. “Yeah, let's go,” Zach responded, kicking his own backpack underneath the large king size bed. 

“Actually I have to take you to your Aunt first, but I'm sure she will take you to see Rexy later.”

As they left the hotel, Gray began prattling on about how the T-rex was the original, from the first Jurassic Park. The DNA they used to bring her back was never found, and they had yet to discover more T-Rex DNA from the mosquitos. Because of that she was very unique, and still had the scars from the velociraptor attack. Zach nodded along like he knew what Gray was talking about as he started in on the biology aspects of life, but he didn't fully understand any of it. Still, he grinned and 'mm'd at all the right places, and Gray was happy.

It took a while for Zach to relax, but he let himself be happy too.

Zara's phone rang as they were leaving the hotel room, and Gray insisted on locking the door himself. Zach watched the British woman start into a conversation as though already in the middle of it, picking up where she left off. Gray didn't seem to care, and ran ahead as usual. For once, Zach jogged ahead to keep up, because he'd rather be with his brother than her. 

“Gray?”

The boy skipped, hopping from foot to foot on the diamond patterned hall carpet. He stopped in front of the elevator and pushed the button before turning towards his older brother, grinning wide. 

“Stay close to me, okay?”

The smile faltered slightly, and Gray glanced at Zara, who was still chatting away. “I'm not going to get lost you know.” 

“I know. But I don't trust anyone else to look after you.”

“Okay.”

The elevator was quickly approaching and a beep signalled it's arrival. Zach and Zara followed Gray inside and the doors closed. Thankfully there was no elevator music, and instead an animated video of a comedian telling them about elevator etiquette and safety. Charming.

The walk to the visitors centre was too slow even for Zach. With all the people and the humidity it left them both a sweaty mess by the time they entered the large double doors. Zara seemed unperturbed by it, and Zach chalked it up to the fact she was acclimated to it already. Despite that he did not miss the snow one bit. 

Gray bolted as soon as the doors closed behind them, Zach failing to notice Zara narrowly avoiding the door closing on her. He stared in awe at the projections of dinosaurs all around them, a large apatosaurus bending its great neck towards something invisible beside him. He watched his brother begin interacting with several different displays, his plaid shirt just a blur. Zach himself chose to look more closely at the hologram console, selecting a velociraptor at random.

The dinosaur that appeared in front of him snarled, its great maw open to reveal a dangerous set of teeth. It snapped at his face, and Zach jumped back before remembering it could not hurt him. Zara snickered at him from the side before returning once more to her phone. Annoyed, Zach selected the apatosaurus once more, and watched its mighty foot come down where Zara was standing. She gasped and dropped her cell to the ground, glaring at the laughing teenager. 

“Gray, is that you?”

He turned in the middle of his fit to see Claire heading down the stairs. He gestured to Gray to come over, and smirked once more at seeing Zara inspecting a new crack in her cellphone screen. Served her right. 

His first impression of Claire was not good, since he could not see her very well. As she got closer, he wished that she had stayed further away. Her bright red hair was cut perfectly, not a single strand out of place. Her clothes were stark white, and the shoulder pads in her jacket gave her a more imposing look. Still, she did bear a small resemblance to his mother, and Zach grudgingly greeted her with a jutting nod. Gray on the other hand, ran straight from the display and into her arms.

“Aunt Claire!” 

The woman seemed shocked at the contact, and hesitated in returning the embrace. Zach felt his anger growl deep in his chest, and he subdued it only just as she patted Gray's back. If she hadn't returned the affection with at least something hospitable, he was liable to scream. 

“Wow, Zach, is that you?” Her eyes turned towards him instead of the curly brown mop in front of her. She made as though to shake his hand, and Zach glared at her in response. Refusing to be put off, she plastered a smile to her face. “It's been so long since I've seen you! Last time I saw you, you were,” she put her hand in the air at about Gray's current height, and moved it up a little when she realized how long ago that would put her last visit. “Like what, four, five years ago?”

“More like seven, but you know. Close.”

He couldn't help the sour tone. Zach felt a little guilty at his open hostility, especially in front of Gray. But really, since when had she cared about them at all? He heard her cell buzz, and he peeked at her pocket to see a green light blinking through the white fabric of her jacket. “Ah, okay. Well,” she put a little more distance between herself and Gray, “I see you have your wrist bands. Those are special VIP, so you can skip all the lines and get into the rides faster.” She reached into her pocket, seeming distracted by the buzzing in the one on the opposite side, and handed an envelope to Gray. “This is for food, and while I'm away Zara is going to take very good care of you.” Here she glanced at her assistant, as though that would assure it. Zach didn't pick up on Gray's dismal look fast enough, and his little brother spoke up in a small voice, “You're not coming with us?”

For a moment Claire looked guilty, but returned to business just as fast. “Oh, I wish I could. But I have a meeting to get to. But I will make sure to see you this evening.” She pulled out her phone, still buzzing quietly in her pocket, and unlocked it. “But I will see you tonight at-” a pause as she thought, “-six.”

“Oh, no, actually you have the meeting with the board at six.” Zach didn't offer a glance towards Zara, rubbing his thumbs on the inside of his palms to try and distract himself from doing anything rash. She was Claire's assistant, she was only doing her job. He shouldn't technically bear her any ill will. But he did.

“Right, of course. I will see you at eight. Or...” she trailed off, looking between the boys, “Do you have a bedtime? Do you sleep at the same time? Or at different times?” 

Her phone buzzed more insistently, and she began backing away as she opened the contact. “Okay, have fun. I will see you tonight!” Zach watched her go, and overheard the following, “Yeah, sorry, I'm here.”

He sighed, putting a hang on Gray's shoulder and whispering softly to himself, “I'm sorry I'm here too.”

-

The sunlight beat down hard on Owen's back, baking his tanned skin further. In his hand the clicker rested at the ready, and he snapped his opposite hand down in a hard line. “Pig loose!” he yelled, and the new kid released the latch. 

In the enclosure below, his girls had been peacefully napping before being rudely awoken by the squealing of an infant piglet. The pink pork chop raced through the undergrowth, running as fast as its little hooves could carry it. He felt more than saw Blue jump at the chance to play. She chirped to her sisters and began the chase, easily stalking her prey. 

Owen watched with pride as they went into formation, darting beneath large leaves and leaping over fallen logs with ease. There was nothing his girls couldn't handle. 

“Hey!” He shouted at them, right after the piglet made it to safety. The door clanged down with a hard grating noise, and his girls lined up beneath him. Blue came first, slowing to a halt and looking around in confusion. They were intelligent, but Owen liked them to think of the disappearing pig as more of a magic trick than just a trapdoor. Charlie and Delta stood to one side and Echo on the other, all of them letting their mouths hang open only just because of the heat. 

The raptor trainer used his clicker to get their attention, trying his best to puff up his chest and look the intimidating Alpha. Delta snapped at Charlie, nicking her scales slightly. “Hey! Up here!” Owen clicked again, and all except Blue looked up. She seemed preoccupied with the trapdoor the pig had entered, snapping her jaws at it in annoyance. 

Charlie followed suit, feeling her Beta's unease. Only she kept her eyes on Owen, and that in itself appeared aggressive. “Charlie, don't you give me that shit!” She exhaled and growled up at him, knowing that he knew she hadn't meant to give him trouble. He was lucky she loved him, the damn Alpha. “Echo, Delta. Come on. Here.” He clicked again, and then stared right at Blue. “Blue, up, let's go!” The Beta finally gave her Alpha the attention he was so desperately trying to get, and blinked in apology. 

“And, up, and follow me!” 

Now for the part he knew they loved. The positive reinforcement. Do as I say, and you get food. Owen proceeded to toss a large rat to each of them, giving the last one to Blue. As part of the pack, it was the Alpha's job to provide for the others. In his case, Owen had taught his girls to share their food, no matter caught or offered. He always ate last, going so far as to eat raw meat with them a few times. It had upset his stomach greatly, but by eating last he was assuring they were all fed. As such, Blue had followed his example. The only time she would eat was after the rest had had their fill. 

“Blue?” That's right, Baby Blue. “This one's for you.” He paused, to ensure that she understood the others had eaten. To make sure she wouldn't try to share it with them. Because she needed the sustenance too. He tossed it to her, and she jumped, swallowing it whole. 

“And,” Owen raised his arm, smiling at his charge, “Go!”

His girls started running, darting back to their nests in the bushes. They were good girls, really. He wiped the smile from his face, because Vic was here. Owen hadn't seen him yet, but the place reeked of him. Not in the literal sense, but in the way of his fellow employees kept their eyes down. They knew better than to get involved with the military man. As long as they did what Owen asked of them, they got paid, they were safe, and that was all that mattered. Barry was the only one who knew about them and Owen, and that worked just as well for the two of them. 

“Good show today, Owen.” Speak of the devil. Barry was grinning, and walked towards Owen in a way that was far too relaxed to be legitimate. As he passed by to retrieve the empty rat bucket, he whispered to Owen, “He's on his way. Careful.”

Owen took a deep breath before continuing across the grate pathway, and let it out as he saw Vic heading his way. He pulled out his knife to cut one of the buckets loose off the rail. They had to tie them down so they wouldn't fall into the compound. Last time Delta and Echo played a very long game of keep away with the stupid metal pail. It took Owen the better part of an hour chasing it around before they finally gave in. Owen looked up as the InGen security manager approached, “Hey! Good show today, Owen.” The trainer chuckled to himself, and at how well Barry seemed to know Hoskins. “Thanks.” Barry came up behind from behind Vic to stand with Owen, having decided that he couldn't let him do it alone.

“How are things?”

“Going good.”

“Things going too good to put in your reports?”

“We've been busy.”

“Yeah, well I've been too busy to,” he made to lunge at Barry, “cash your paycheques.” Owen forced some laughter, and Barry shook his head and tried to hide his nerves. It was true that Vic Hoskins handled their pay, and it was one of the last things on his list to lose.

“Yeah, well you came on a good day. It's not always a happy ending,” Owen tucked his knife away in the back of his pants. A small silence began, and the raptor trainer squashed it before it could grow.

“So uh, what can I do for you?”

“I want a field test.” Right to the point.

Barry laughed outright then, at the audacity of the statement. He shook his head and took his empty bucket passed Vic, letting his chuckled fade as he left.

Hoskins turned to Owen, staring him down. “What's so funny?” The seriousness of his tone gave Owen pause, because for the first time he realized how serious Vic really was about this. This was real. He wanted to put his girls in the field. To do more tests on them. Like hell.

“Well,” he began, starting off towards the stairs to the ground, “You come up here, and you learn only what you want about these animals.”

“Extinct animals have no rights.”

“They don't know that. They're not extinct anymore.” 

“I've just seen that they can take orders.”

“It's not control. It's a relationship based on mutual respect.” Now he was just plain pissed. What did Vic think his girls were? Machines? They were living creatures. With more depth than some of the humans he'd met, for crying out loud. Owen hung the bucket on a rung of the rail, and continued down to the entrance to the paddock. There were some things he had to prepare for their camera fitting that night. Vic followed him, still hungry for a 'yes'.

“What do you think InGen created these things for?”

“Masrani just wants to show people how small they really are.”

“You don't think that hot shot has his fingers in every pool? Oil? War? Child slavery? Come on Owen, we all know the real story. He's ignoring the possibilities. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it.”

“I haven't.”

“Right. Like you haven't. Think about it! These guys on the battlefield. Running at the enemy and eating them belt buckle and all. Nature gave his the perfect war machines billions of years ago!”

Owen snorted, and typed in the code to open the barred door. He entered and pressed the button to close it right away, wishing that Hoskins would just leave him and his girls be. “It's mother nature's way of testing her creations. War is struggle. Struggle breeds greatness.”

“Do you hear yourself when you talk?” 

“You'll see things my way, Grady.”

Owen shook his head as he turned around, just in time to see the door to the piglet trapdoor open. 

“Pig loose!”

He watched, mildly irked at the boy for letting the piglet go. It wasn't feeding time yet, and this would ruin the schedule. The kid was probably leaning on the control panel again. Owen sighed, and watched the kid try to scoop up the pig. His irritation erupted into something else entirely, as he watched Echo dart from the bushes and grab the pig in her mouth. He heard the crunching of bones at the same time the new kid fell into the cage with the force of the attack, yanked down by his own tool.

Thinking fast, Owen raced to the console and pressed the button to open the cage, crouching at the ready for when it was wide enough for him to fit through. The kid was backing up as Blue and the others began to circle him, stepping close.

Blue didn't understand. This one looked like her Alpha, sort of. He walked on two legs. But he smelled different, of urine and fear. Not strong. A weak link. An easy meal. She crouched low, and chittered for her sisters. He shouldn't be here. He was invading her space. Her Alpha's space. He needed to leave. Now. She snapped at him, baring her fangs. Blue flicked her large talon, something which never failed to make the others run in fear. But this one was scared. Too scared, because he continued to sit.

And then he wasn't in her sight anymore, because Alpha was there. The space still smelled like the strange one. Blue snarled at him, because how dare he protect the one who stepped into his place without asking. Feeling her hackles rise, Blue jumped at Owen, stopping just short of him.

“Woah, woah, hey!”

Owen raised his arms in a gesture of peace towards the raptors, keeping the stance of one in control. He heard Barry pull the kid back inside the entranceway, and he felt his heart relax. Too much of this was bad for his health.

“Blue, hey, eyes on me.” The raptor in question, his beautiful Beta, snapped again, and this time Charlie joined in. He knew they were upset. He did, he understood. But right now in front of all these people he was not their Alpha. He was their trainer, something entirely separate. He exuded an aura of control, and ever so gradually he felt Blue begin to stand down. 

“Eyes on me,” he repeated gently, still firm, as he backed up towards the entrance. 

“Barry? Close it.”

“Are you joking?!” Barry was sweating not just from heat, but from nerves. This was uncharacteristic of the girls, and especially of Owen. His friend liked to take risks, but Barry preferred his friends alive and not torn to shreds.

“Do it!” Finally the kid did something useful.

Owen heard the grating noise, but did not take his eyes off Blue. She could easily jump him and slide beneath the bars, and he knew she would eat the boy. The Beta was furious that her Alpha's authority had been stepped on, and she was out for blood. Owen continued backing up, and with a last desperate look of calm, turned and rolled beneath the gate. It slammed into the ground at the same time Blue pounced on the gate, shoving her nose through the bars as far as it would go.

Feeling relief flood him, Owen looked up and let euphoria take him momentarily. Barry pulled up to his feet and shook his head. Something which was becoming characteristic of the man. “Let's not do that again, ey?” He picked up the bucket he had carelessly tossed to the side, and exited the cage with a final look of disdain at the kid on the ground. Owen was still breathing heavily as he looked at the boy, a hand on his hip. “Hey, new kid.” The boy looked up, eyes wild. “You ever wonder why there was an opening?” If possible, his eyes grew larger, and the dark spot on his pants extended passed his knees. 

Sighing, Owen relented with a piece of advice, “Don't put your back to the cage.”

The raptor trainer turned in time to see Vic smirk, and tap the bars once before turning away. Fighting the feeling of unease, Owen turned to give his girls one last command. Raising his hand, he gestured at Blue.

Stay in the trees.

The raptor, crouching at the barred gateway, growled deep in her belly, but heeded the command. Pausing, she took a piss on the place the boy had fallen, masking his scent with her own. Thereafter, she chirped to her sisters and headed for cover. Owen watched her go, wondering how the hell he was supposed to explain, 'don't eat the employees' to his Beta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much. All the love in the world to my readers, whether you like it or not. If you've come this far, it's hard to say you don't like it, no? ;)


	4. Tight Situations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach and Gray escape Zara and meet Mr. Owen Grady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not the longest, but I wanted to get it out. We now have our two lovely boys meeting, and I hope I didn't go too far.
> 
> Nothing touches on the abuse here but we will next chapter. This is where the story really starts to be different from the movie. Let me know what you think.

Gray was, as always, uncontrollable.

Not in a bad sense, at least not for Zach, who followed him around from a distance. He knew all too well what it was like to have someone watching your every move, and if he didn't care for it he doubted his brother would. The boy was snapping photos of everything that moved, started his own quiet commentary as though he were a documentary. It was amusing to watch, and it left the older Mitchell with a warm feeling in his stomach and a grin on his face.

Zara followed them around, talking on her phone again. Zach ignored her for the most part, except that she was the one taking them to all the places. They had yet to go to a single place Gray actually wanted, and instead she lead them to the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo. 

Which was cool if you were five.

Whether the dinosaurs had been engineered to grow only this size, or if they were babies which would later be moved to legitimate exhibits Zach wasn't sure. He was going to ask Gray about it but he was too far ahead, curls bouncing up and down. He changed his camera lens a few times every few minutes, wiping them clean with a special cloth before putting them into the pouch on his waist. “Make sure nobody sees you putting them in there Gray. Mom wouldn't like it if we got mugged while we are here.” Gray stuck out his tongue at Zach being motherly, but nodded and covered it up with his shirt none the less.

When his brother skipped to the next small area, the triceratops ride, Zach hung back. “So Zara, I was thinking, this place is sort of for small kids. Like, really small kids. Can we go to the Tyrannosaur exhibit?” Zach tried to be kind about it, but he knew the tone of his voice was bored. Not that it seemed to matter, because the woman hadn't heard him. He tried a new tactic. 

“Hey, Zara!” 

Now she looked up, a little irritable. She shut off her phone after grumbling a goodbye to the person on the line, and stuffed it into her purse. “Yes, Zachary?”

“Uh, it's just Zach. And I was wondering,” he turned to find Gray, who had his arms raised high above his head so he could get a picture of a young apatosaurus, “if we could go to the Tyrannosaur exhibit. I know Gray really wanted to go there this morning.” She frowned, as though confused by the idea. “He doesn't like it here? All the kids like it. He's even small enough to ride the triceratops!” Zach stopped walking, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What was the big idea? “So, if he does ride the triceratops, it's an easy way to keep him safe and still out of your hair?” He shook his head, unable to hide his irritation. “Just get back on your phone Zara. I'm sure that's more important.” The teenager turned and strode towards Gray, who was now at the side of the petting zoo. 

“Zach! Will you hold me on your shoulders so I can get some good pictures?”

“No. I'm not Scott. And you're not five.”

“Come on, Zach!”

“This place is for kids.”

“I can still ride the triceratops!”

“No. You're not riding the triceratops.” Anything to keep Zara from being right.

“Wanna go on the spinning dinosaur eggs?”

“Nope.”

Zach stopped, putting his hands on his hips. Gray was looking up at him, with the biggest puppy dog eyes he'd seen. “Look, Gray, it's just...” he was at a loss for words, feeling genuinely guilty for treating his brother so badly. “It's just... I just...” He turned away, unable to look Gray in the face. In doing do, he caught a glimpse of Zara in the distance, again on her phone and turned away from them completely. By the time he turned back Gray was distracted by something else, and he tapped his brothers arm insistently. “Scatter,” he murmured, looking around as though caught up in a conspiracy. 

“Huh?”

“Go. Go, go, go!”

The two bolted, wide smiles on their faces as they made a mad dash for the exit on the far side. The people swarming the pathway were no obstacle as the brothers wove through them all with ease. Zach was laughing as they shot out of the petting zoo, still running as fast as they could through the park.

“Hey! You kids, slow down!”

It didn't stop them. Zach made sure to keep Gray in front of him as they ran back to main street. The shops and concession stands around them were packed, and a constant white noise of people mulling around gave Zach a sense of high school. All these people and none of them noticed him. Only in this case, he was pleased. 

“Hey Zach? I'm hungry.” Gray put a hand on his stomach, rubbing a small circle into it just as it grumbled. He looked sheepishly at his older brother, who produced the white envelope Claire had given Gray earlier that morning. “Okay, a bite to eat and then the T-rex, yeah?” 

“Yeah!”

Zach followed Gray to a popcorn stand, where they got a large to share between the two of them. Next was a hotdog stand, where Zach got two with all the fixings and Gray got one with nothing on it. Any other time Zach would think it a waste of five dollars, but it was Claire's money so he let the guilt go for the time being. She did give the money to them for food. They sat on the edge of a fountain, sharing popcorn and spilling their crumbs onto the concrete ground. Zach stuffed his face and wiped the excess off with the back of his hand, licking the smears off as he went. Gray on the other hand ate slower, a pace which was consistent through his life. He was always the last one to leave the dining table at home, even if he got his food first. It was a peculiar thing, because even their mom ate quickly. 

Thinking this over, Zach was interrupted from his inner musings when Gray stood up abruptly. 

“I gotta go to the washroom.” He pressed his legs together a little, still holding the culprit pop can. Zach chuckled, and scanned the plaza until he found a sign. He pointed, and Gray rested his head on his his brothers arm to better get an idea of direction. When he saw it, he tossed Zach the can and made a dash for it, Zach watching to make sure he made it to the door okay. Now alone, he tossed out their garbage and took his place on the fountain back. 

Looking around wasn't something he had really done yet, so he took this time to do so. People were laughing and having a good time. A few children were crying about not getting this or that toy, but for the most part it was the definition of fun. A group of girls stood beside the cotton candy vendor, giggling and putting small amounts of the sweet treat into their mouths. They were looking at something behind Zach, fluttering their eyelashes and going so far as to unbutton their shirts by two. Zach raised an eyebrow, and turned around to see what had caught their attention, certainly not him.

Turning around, the first thing he wished he hadn't. A flush rose to his cheeks, and he felt his jeans become tighter around his groin. What stood in front of him was the most attractive man he had ever seen.

The guy was tall, and not in a way that made him lanky or skinny. He filled out his clothes easily without them being too defining, and Zach wished momentarily that they were. His hair was swept back, sweaty and dusted with dirt. The shirt he wore might have been white at one point, but now was stained with oil and things Zach couldn't begin to name. All this made him rugged, which was something Zach found irresistible. He couldn't help but notice the rather pronounced bulge in his pants, which from his angle, Zach found to be quite alluring.

Still, it was impolite to stare. Zach couldn't help his hormones, really. He turned away, cheeks still heated. And after taking a deep breath, decided that he could afford to be impolite.

Zach turned back, to find the man hadn't moved. He followed the seams of his brown vest up to his thick neck, and then to his jawline, and finally to his lips. A tongue poked out and licked them, and Zach felt his mouth drop open a fraction. It took him a moment to collect himself, and he wiggled a bit to adjust himself, before moving higher still. And wished that he hadn't. 

The man was staring back at him.

\--

Owen was entirely surprised.

Claire was late. Claire. Claire Dearing.

Who knew she had it in her? He grinned to himself, leaning against the concrete wall of the visitors centre. He was supposed to inspect a paddock oh, what? Owen checked his watch, about twenty minutes ago. The meeting with the investors must have gone into overtime. The raptor hunter leaned his head back, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. Heat was something he loved, but the humidity he could do without. 

Owen looked down at an insistent tug on his shirt, to find a small girl looking up at him. She wore a pink summer dress and a bright blue tyrannosaur hat. “Hello!” He smiled at her, bending down so he was her height. His legs protested only a little, as he had a hard days work with his raptors after Vic had left. 

She scrunched the edges of her dress in her little hands, and swayed a little, looking at him shyly. “My sister says you're sexy. She told me not to tell you. But I'm mad at her 'cause she didn't let me go see Rexy.” It took Owen a moment to realize the girl was telling him this out of spite, and probably didn't even know what she was saying. “Oh, is that right? She wouldn't let you see Rexy? Where is your sister?” 

He followed the girls finger, pointing towards a group of teenagers by a cotton candy stand. Owen sighed, wondering how he managed to attract them. He wasn't particularly clean. It was probably the scruff. Most teenage boys had trouble growing any decent facial hair. 

“Well, make sure you run back there right away, okay? Don't wander.”

“Okay! Thanks Mister!”

The raptor Alpha watched her go, making sure she got to her sister and her friends alright. There were too many kids in the lost and found already. To his amusement, he watched over the fountain as they made a beeline for the Tyrannosaur exhibit, the tall girl red as a beet. Owen sighed, and was about to look away when he spotted a boy staring at him.

So it wasn't just girls.

He looked right back, evaluating the kid.

He wasn't tall, but not really short either. Probably high school. His dark hair was damp from the heat, and he had a small bit of ketchup in the corner of his mouth. He squirmed then, and Owen watched his eyes as they traveled downwards and then up. The kids lips were parted, and their shape made the most perfect little 'o'. Briefly, Owen let his mind wander to sex, and what they would look like wrapped around his dick, resting below his stomach and swallowing around him.

Blood rushed to his cock and Owen had to stop himself before he got too far ahead. It had been a few years since he'd been with a guy, and the last time he was with a teenager was when he was a teenager himself. Still, the opportunity for some fun had presented itself, and he wasn't one to spit on that. It would be harmless to tease a bit, right?

\--

Zach watched from his place as the man headed towards him, their eyes never straying. He didn't walk like Zach expected, with a sway in his hips and a thuggish swag. Instead, his strides were long and even, languid and relaxed. If possible, the bulge in the mans jeans seemed to have grown, but it was probably just because he was closer now. Very close. In fact Zach knew he should probably look away from the mans crotch because he was a few feet in front of him. Ten. Five. Two.

He swallowed, feeling the heat on his cheeks move upwards to his ears as he looked up. The sunlight framed the man in front of him, and Zach stood up quickly. The sudden movement made him dizzy briefly, and he staggered back down to his seat. The man laughed, actually laughed at him, before plunking down on the concrete fountain beside him.

“Hey kid.”

Zach licked his lips, and looked up at the stranger. Wishing he hadn't.

All green would be ruined for him now. There was nothing beautiful about the lush grass or the ancient oak tree leaves. The green he saw there was unlike anything he had ever seen. A sea of green, the hilly country side, a vibrant jungle. These thoughts swam through his head and disappeared as soon as they came, for he could not put what he was seeing into words.

Shaking his head, and trembling from the nervousness he felt, it took Zach too long to respond for his liking. “Uh, hi. Sorry, I didn't mean, I mean, I wasn't-”

“Hey, relax. I saw you sitting alone is all. Wondered if you needed me to help you out.”

Zach blinked, not understanding the smirk he was receiving. Was the guy really that crazy? Did he know the effect he had on him? 

“Uh, help me out? I don't need help. I mean, there's nothing to help me out with, especially if you're referring t-”

Again interrupted, he chuckled, the playful glint in his eyes sparkling. “I meant with finding something of course. I work here.”

Oh. Oh of course. He definitely did not mean he wanted to help Zach out by jacking him off. 

“Oh. No, I'm good thanks. I'm just waiting for my brother.”

“Ah, family trip?”

“Sort of,” Zach muttered, casting a glare towards the visitors centre, “Just me and him right now.” The look had not gone missed by the man, because he glanced at the building behind them as well. When Zach didn't talk again, the stranger offered his hand.

“The name's Owen, Owen Grady.”

Zach looked down at the hand presented to him, feeling dizzy again as he imagined two of them, all over him. Instead, he returned the smile, and took it in a firm shake. “Zach Mitchell.” 

They talked for a time, only a few minutes. Zach could have sworn he was being checked out, but brushed it off as mere curiosity rather than any intent. He knew he wasn't especially good looking, and this God of a man could have his pick. They spoke briefly of themselves, Owen explaining that he was a raptor trainer and was supposed to be at a meeting right then. Zach offered no more information than necessary, telling him a bit about Gray and that they were headed to see Rexy as soon as his brother came back.

He assumed that would get Owen to leave, because the guy had a meeting to go to. Unfortunately, he offered to escort them there. “There are signs. I can read you know,” Zach responded, glaring at him. Owen raised his hands on a placating gesture, “I know that. You're fully capable of being independent. I just thought I'd be nice.” Zach felt bad about snapping like he did after that, but made no move to rectify the situation. “I could be mean if you wanted though.”

The teenagers head swivelled to face Owen like lightning, eyes wide and mouth dry. “What did you just say?”

Owen looked confused, his eyebrows creasing together, “I didn't say anything.”

“Yes you did.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Mm.”

Still not convinced, but entirely too turned on by the idea of being pressed against a wall by the guy, Zach turned to look at the bathroom. Gray was on his way back, his shirt soaked through with water. He stood and took a few steps towards his brother, who was shaking his hands to dry them. 

“Gray? What happened to you?”

The youngest Mitchell looked hesitant to share the details, but grudgingly answered the question quietly. “I wasn't tall enough to reach the paper towels. And the counters were wet when I leaned over to wash my hands.”

“Is that what took you so long?”

Gray nodded, clearly embarrassed by the situation. Then he noticed Owen, and saw the way he had moved to join the conversation as well. Instead of being intimidated as Zach had assumed his brother would be, the boy let a wide grin set on his lips. “Hello! Who are you?” He reached up to shake Owen's hand, who took it in his own and shook it once. “My name's Owen. Zach here was telling me you guys are going to see Rexy.” Gray turned to look at Zach, who managed a nervous shrug and offered, “He trains the velociraptors here.” At this information, Gray practically exploded.

“That is so cool! Can we see them?”

“Maybe. Not right now though, they aren't ready to be in an exhibit yet.” 

Gray nodded, as though he understood the reasoning behind it. “Okay, well, wanna come and see Rexy with us?” Zach was internally screaming as Owen ruffled his brothers hair and then turned those green eyes back on him, “I would love to.”

Zach made a mental note to talk to Gray about meeting strangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go. Thanks for all the comments and support you guys! They really spur me on to write more. I won't be able to do too much starting Wednesday, so I'll try to have another chapter to post before then to tide you guys over.
> 
> As always, never be shy. Tell me if I messed up on anything, give me pointers, let me know if you liked anything or disliked anything in particular.
> 
> I want you guys to love this story as much as I do.


	5. Backwards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rexy finally makes her debut, and Owen makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this! It is short and I took so long. I am having relationship problems and I may be moving, but I promise to have at least two more chapters (also longer ones) up this month.

Owen was grinning on the inside. 

Wait, he was grinning on the outside too.

Gray had made it far too easy, and he really owed the kid a candy bar or something. He walked with one boy on each side, talking to the younger and explaining the work he did. Zach looked uncomfortable for the most part, whether because his jeans were too tight, or because Owen was around was uncertain. In fact they were both basically the same thing. The raptor trainer lead them to the Tyrannosaur enclosure, looking down at Gray.

“So do you feed them by hand? Or are they like snakes?”

Owen thought about it, and considered lying to the boy, and decided against it. It wasn't as though he could do anything with the information. “I am not supposed to, but I feed them by hand when I can. Most of the time I throw it to them, or they hunt something in the paddock.”

“Is the paddock big enough? Don't they need space to run?”

“It's smaller then I would like. But the lady who runs this place... she and I don't see eye to eye.”

Zach listened into this conversation quietly from the side, eyeing Owen warily. He didn't seem dangerous, but sometimes the men who seemed least likely to do something were the ones who did. Gray seemed to be getting along with him just fine, which was good for Zach. If he had to hear his name on Owen's tongue again he might faint. As it was, he was fighting to keep the blush off his face every time he looked at the man. 

“She must not know a lot about dinosaurs then,” Gray responded, his nose wrinkling at the idea. Owen chuckled, shaking his head slightly, “I know. You should let her know.”

The three continued at a somewhat leisurely pace, until at last they got to the paddock. A massive glass wall separated them from the exhibit, and inside the land seemed to stretch for miles. People of all ages had their noses pressed against the glass, and in some cases their whole bodies as they were practically smothered by the people behind them. Owen smiled at the guard on their way in, and he tipped his hat in greeting.

“Ey Owen, a bit far from your raptors, ain't it?”

“Oh, everyone needs a break now and then, huh? Isn't it about time you take one?”

The guard shrugged, but looked at his watch none the less. “Probably. Relief isn't here yet though,” he gestured to all the guests, “And someone needs to make sure nobody tries to break anything to get closer.” Owen hummed in agreement, turning to look at the guests. He noticed Gray bouncing on the tips of his feet trying discreetly to get a view of the paddock despite his short stature. The raptor trainer turned to Zach, who hadn't taken his eyes off of him. He smirked at the boy, and though he spoke to the guard looked directly at Zach. 

“I'll take your spot for fifteen. I'm in no rush,” he turned to the other man, his face that of someone genuinely trying to do something good. 

“Only if you're sure. Don't tell the Miss, eh?” the man was already jogging away, and Gray watched him head straight for the restroom. Owen turned to the boys then, grinning wide. “Alright, so now that he's done, check this out,” he moved further through the hall, walking quickly passed the crowd. Zach kept Gray in his sight, going so far as to cling to his brothers shirt just a little. He didn't much care for where this was going. Being alone with grown men wasn't something he was fond of. Even though Owen didn't exert the same vibes Scott did, but they were still dominant, and that in itself was both exhilarating and frightening.

Gray all but sprinted when he saw the door Owen was going into, a large sign nailed above it stating in huge red letters: EMPLOYEES ONLY. The raptor trainer unlocked it with a key at his belt, and gestured them inside. Zach bit his lip and rushed after his brother after a moment of hesitation, deciding that either way he had to be with Gray. The boy darted up the stairs, running in sharp circles as Zach chased him. 

“Gray, slow down!”

“We are going up to the tower!”

“Gray, seriously, slow down!”

Owen watched the sight in front of him, a fine looking ass in snug jeans, chase after the little one. He had no intentions really, just to play around. He wasn't about to bed a child. He was fucked up, but nothing like that. He would cut a mans dick clean off if saw anything of the sort. Owen snorted, and Zach turned around briefly to meet his eyes. They were panicked, but didn't stay looking at him long, and Owen was left curious. What in the world could make the kid so nervous?

Gray burst out of the door at the top of the stairs, excitement evident by his radiant smile. He greeted the guard at the top of the stairs happily, waving despite their close proximity. Owen smiled and gave a short wave to the guard, Kenny, and explained that the boys were with him. He also motioned to the clock on the wall, and then eyed the box of emergency flares in the corner. Gray's eyes lit up with excitement, and he turned to jump and yank on Zach's sleeve.

“I read about this in the brochure! Rexy likes the flares. She's the original tyrannosaur from Jurassic Park.” He darted to the window, pressing himself up against the glass. Zach, no less at ease, followed and kept a distance from both Owen and Kenny. The teenager knew he was being overly cautious, it wasn't like his aunt would hire thugs in her park. But then he didn't think his mother would stay with an abusive husband either. 

“Ey, Sandra,” Kenny used his radio to communicate, the fuzz loud in the small room. Owen could feel the heaviness in the air, only broken by Gray's endless excitement. He wondered briefly if he had done something out of line besides the easy flirting. Sandra answered the call, and the two spoke until a lift int he enclosure below was raised to ground level. On it was a white goat, which bleated and looked around slowly. Poor thing. But a t-rex has to eat, right? 

Zach watched as Kenny tipped his helmet, and pressed a switch to open the window. The sound of air rushing outside and the smell of humid air once more signalled the opening was large enough. Kenny grabbed a flare and lit it, tossing it to the ground below. It arced and landed with a thud, and he could hear his brother gasp as it bounced once, and rolled to a stop beside the goat. Nothing happened at first, no movement which revealed anything of interest. And then, from their right, the massive reptile made its appearance.

Rexy was beautifully frightening, especially to Zach. Dinosaurs had never been his thing, even as a small child, but by all counts this was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She was massive, easily taller than the tower they stood in. Her scales were a dull brown, mottled grey and tan. Horizontal stripes on her snout were clear, and Zach was surprised to see scars on her head and neck. He couldn't imagine what sort of creature would be so bold as to attack a tyrannosaurus rex. They were old, already white on her skin and raised from the natural slope of her neck. 

Owen watched Zach's reaction, ignorant of the ground shaking beneath his feet with every step of the creature outside. The teenager had stepped closer to the glass, raising a hand to press his fingers against the cool surface, mouth slightly agape. While Gray vibrated with exhilaration, Zach stared in awe. The older brother licked his lips, and turned to look back at Owen. The raptor trainer just smiled, cocking his head to the side and crossing his arms. Zach looked guilty, and shirked slightly before turning to watch the animal chomp onto the goat. From the tower he could see the other guests, one of them throwing up on the window, and he chuckled as Gray exclaimed, “Ewww! Cool!” He snapped a lot of pictures then, getting as many as he could. They were good ones too, from this angle. 

“Owen, y'gotta go. You're not even s'posed to be here you know,” Kenny laughed, and clapped the other man on the shoulder. Owen just shrugged, palms up, “I just wanted to show them a good time!” And it was true, he did. At first just to tease, but not because they seemed like genuinely good kids.

“Can we do that again tomorrow? I want to get a picture of all her teeth. All 60!” 

Zach ruffled his hair, smiling easier now. “I don't know about that. Probably from the visitors part next time.” He turned back to share the smile with Owen, feeling like the sun was beating down upon him. Maybe he had been wrong about Owen having ill intentions. He could handle the flirting, god knew he wanted the man in every way possible. But actually doing it? Zach wasn't so sure. 

The three made it back down in time to see the first guard returning, a hotdog in hand and mouth full of popcorn. It was little wonder the guards were as... round as they were. Owen talked to him a bit and gestured helplessly at the vomit covered window, stating he hadn't been able to escort the kid outside in time. While they argued, Zach looked at all the pictures Gray had taken, pointing out his favourites. Just then, his phone rang.

As soon as he saw 'Mom' on the phone, he picked it up and eagerly answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi sweetheart, how you doing?”

“Doing fine, you?”

“I'm...” she paused, as though considering her words carefully, “I'm alright. You were supposed to call me when you landed.”

Zach sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and cringing. Of course Scott didn't relay his message. Why would he?

“Right, sorry. It slipped my mind I guess.” No point in making things worse.

“Okay, well, is Gray having a good time?”

Zach turned, and let a smile tug his lips up as his brother climbed on top of the garbage can, snapping more pictures. 

“Yeah, I would say so.”

His mother smiled herself, knowing full well her oldest son meant it. 

“That's great! How's your aunt? I bet she knows all the good spots to show you.”

“Well, actually,” he glanced at Owen, who was still arguing with the guard over who had to clean up the mess, “she gave us these wrist bands, so we can skip the lines and stuff.”

“Wait, she isn't with you?”

“No,” Zach muttered, his mood darkening rapidly, “She isn't.”

The rest of the conversation was fast, with Zach promising to stay safe so long as his mother made the same promise. He told her he loved her, and hung up almost reluctantly. 

And jolted when a hand fell on his shoulder. He flinched away, instinctively raising his arm to shield his face. He trembled slightly, and then let his arms fall away with a harsh breath when he realized the person wasn't going to hit him. Zach met Owen's eyes, the mans hand now hanging limp at his side. Neither of them said a word, only stared at the other. 

Owen hated himself then. He should have known something serious was going on. Most teenage boys were arrogant, and didn't worry for their own safety. They believed they could handle any situation the world threw at them. But this boy, oh no. He had been wary when Owen agreed to accompany them. And it was worse when he took them away from the public. How stupid he had been. The signs were all there. The way he always positioned himself between strangers and Gray. The way he scanned his surroundings, for possible escape routes or places to hide, rather than the sight seeing Owen had thought it was. And now, they way he flinched when a shadow crossed his vision.

The kid was abused.

A boiling rage filled Owen then, something he hadn't felt since before his time in the Navy. The feeling of seeing something atrocious and not being able to do a damn thing. 

“Who does this to you?”

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Zach's wide eyes narrowed, his face going cold. “I don't know what you mean.”

Confronting the problem outright was his style, and he knew it wasn't Zach's. The kid was scared, and Owen acted rashly. Right now he didn't need him to be closed off, he knew that. The raptor trainer took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Okay,” he said quietly, never taking his eyes off of him, but relaxing his own stance into something more submissive. Shoulders down, muscles relaxed. “I won't bring it up again.”

“Good.”

Zach turned, stalking towards his brother. Owen watched him take hold of Gray's waist, and effortlessly lift the boy down. Gray was confused at first, but his face melted into something akin to understanding. The younger ran over to Owen, looking at him apologetically. “We have to go. Zach saw-” he bit his lip, clearly trying to keep a secret. “Our uh... our babysitter is around here. We have to leave before she finds us.”

Owen nodded, as though part of a conspiracy, “Okay. I won't say a word.”

“We'll see you soon though! I wanna go to the restaurant for dinner tonight. The one by the Mosasaurus show.”

“Nice. Maybe I'll see you there, then.”

Gray grinned, and took Zach's hand before running off towards the exit of the tunnel. Zach didn't turn an eye back, but hurried out as fast as he could without appearing to be in a rush. Owen watched after him, no longer eyeing him as a piece of meat. Instead, as a young man who desperately needed protecting. He ran his fingers through his hair, inhaling sharply. Blue would probably laugh at him if she could see the mess he was becoming over the boy. They had just met and already Owen wanted to take him as his charge. Leave it to the raptor man to wanna fuck first and then protect.

Always doing things backwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the read! As always point out any mistakes I have made and let me know what you think. I know it is rushed and I may come back and edit it up a bit, but I really wanted to get something out for you guys.


	6. Protect, Be Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen spends some time with his girls and Zach goes with his brother to a show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. I couldn't not. I needed to put this out. Couldn't wait much longer. I want you guys to know that I love your feedback, and it makes me smile every time. Goodness knows I could use the smiles right now!

“Blue, stop it. For real.”

Owen sat inside the raptor enclosure, leaned against his favourite tree. The place was rigged with security cameras, but he knew how to hardwire them to replay footage over a specific time period. The only worker besides himself present were those above who couldn't see beneath the trees, and Barry, who was speaking quietly to Delta through the bars of the cage. 

After the confrontation with Zach, he didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, which was track down the bastard who hit him and give him a good... talking to. Owen snorted, chuckling darkly at himself. No, he would probably kill the guy. 

Blue nosed him again, harder and more insistent, pushing his shoulder until he plunked down onto his side with a heavy thud. Owen sighed, and Blue laid down in front of him, her chin pressed into the dirt and her large golden eye staring at him curiously. She knew something was wrong, could sense that her Alpha was not at all doing well. It had her sisters in a state of unease, and they aggressively ensured no trainers came near Owen. The raptor trainer in question closed his eyes, unable to hold her piercing stare. Leave it to a raptor to silently defeat him.

“I don't know, Blue.”

And there he had done the thing no Alpha should ever do. He was confused himself, and lost, and no leader should ever reveal that. But she was his Beta, and somehow he knew she would understand. Different species, previously extinct or not, the two shared a connection that outweighed any bond Owen had ever made. The raptor snorted, and made a soft chitter noise in the back of her throat, blinking and cocking her head slightly. A question.

“He's just a kid.”

Owen groaned in irritation at himself, and again when Blue rolled her neck to poke at his neck again.

“Blue. Seriously, quit it.”

She chittered again, this time with a tint of anger, and opened her jaws to show her teeth. Owen raised an eyebrow, and glared at her, daring her to challenge him. After a breath she closed her mouth, and returned to nuzzling his neck, and he let out a harsh breath. Owen knew she would never challenge him unless something was very wrong, and she had to take over. Even then it would be temporary, until Blue had deemed him well enough to watch the others and care for them again. 

It had only happened once before, when they had been forcefully removed from him during their stay in his bungalow. When the imprinting process had happened, Owen refused to let any of the scientists touch his girls. He fed them, weighed them, and did any and all necessary tests himself. And as soon as he was able to get them out of that white, sanitized environment he had done so. Dr. Wu hadn't been keen on it, but allowed Owen to take the raptors to his place at the edge of the park, and put a temporary fence in place in case they got out. Charlie had quickly grown notorious for tearing holes in his curtains and stealing food when she thought he wasn't looking. Echo was always quiet, but often served as the distraction so that Blue and Delta could climb things they had repeatedly been told not to. Which ended in consequences such as Delta falling on Charlie, and spraining her leg. It was a good thing Owen had been in the Navy, because he healed her leg just in time for their check ups. But when they were too big for his bungalow, Owen wouldn't hear about it. He had already bonded with them, and the separation was painful, but on most levels necessary. Blue had already designated her place as Beta, having scrapped with Echo until she got the message. The ACU had barged into his home, and Owen would never forget how hard his girls fought them to stay. It took all of four men to hold Owen back from them, and their cries were still a haunting memory for him today.

It would be several days before he was allowed to see them again, and in that time Echo had taken over as pack Beta and Blue had asserted herself as Alpha. They needed to know there was someone to take care of them, and Blue ensured that. They didn't know when Owen would be back, their scrawny ex-Alpha might as well have been killed. So in those days, they mourned. Delta nearly died from health problems, refusing to eat and only doing so when Blue forced her to. Barry nursed her back to health, ever gentle and kind to the juvenile raptor. The others hadn't fared well either, and on the first day Owen was allowed to see them, it was only through the bars of the cage. Masrani had fought for him to regain control of the whole operation, and upon succeeding had put him at the head of the project. Hoskins hadn't been happy, because he knew Owen was no push over, but had gradually gotten used to the idea that the raptors were with Owen. 

Owen reached up to rub Blue's nose, pressing his nails against her scales right between her nostrils. Never again would he let his girls disappear from his life like that. It had been an agonizing ordeal for all of them. And for whatever reason, something he just couldn't fathom, he didn't want it to be like that with Zach either.

Good lord, he had met the kid hours ago. There shouldn't be a connection like this.

But there was. As sure as when he had watched his girls hatch from their eggs. 

He blinked when Blue stood up abruptly, calling out for her sister. Delta looked up from Barry, who pulled his hand back from inside the cage swiftly. She spun on her heels and trotted over, cocking her head and snorting at her Beta. Owen, still on the ground, looked up at them curiously. They were prone to sudden movements but this one seemed a bit more... planned. His Beta turned to him and began nuzzling Delta's neck, before gently biting down over some faint scar marks. Delta hissed, but did not jolt away as Owen had guessed she would. He stood and didn't bother to brush the dirt form his clothes, and approached the pair cautiously.

Blue let Delta go, and chittered at Owen, backing away from her pack mate slowly. Owen headed over to Delta, to assess the damage, and realized instantly what was going on. He inspected the wound only to find nothing there, just teeth marks which would fade before the night came. 

“Blue?”

His Beta growled, and hopped from foot to foot, flicking her claws. “You want me to bring him in?”

Blue didn't know anything about Zach. All she had to go off of was the faint scent of the boy, and the fact he was the cause for her Alpha's confusion. By her logic, bringing him into the pack would make it easier to understand whatever was going on with them, as her Alpha seemed to want this other two-leg around. Owen shook his head, backing away from Delta and Blue, “It's not that simple, Blue.”

Nothing was ever that simple.

 

Zach couldn't handle the heat anymore. He needed something to cool off. “Gray?” his brother looked up at him expectantly, stowing his camera away from sneaking a picture of a very drunk man with two martinis. “Do you wanna go inside some place? Maybe shop around?” He was hopeful, if only for the air conditioning. Sweat was practically dripping down his back, and it wasn't something he appreciated. To his dismay, Gray shook his head, brown curls bouncing, “No, I want to go see something else. What about the Mosasaurus Show? I think one is supposed to start soon.” Well, at least if they sat close enough maybe he would get a splash. “Yeah, okay.”

After they had left Owen, Zach's mood had continued to descend. Gray thankfully hadn't picked up on the reason, and had dragged him around to a few different exhibits. They walked Main and got a few pamphlets on various goings on in the park, and had booked a table for the restaurant that evening. Gray was a lover of seafood, and it would be neat to see the ceolacanth and Mosasaurus while they were eating. At least that was his rational, Zach couldn't stand seafood. His mood increased a thousand times fold when Gray told him they also served other things, not from the ocean. 

Yep, mood swings in teenagers were a real thing, and the cure was the promise of food.

So with a table booked for dinner, Zach set out to make sure the rest of the day moved smoothly. Their Mother could handle herself well enough, at least he hoped. As long as she kept her head down until Zach got back. Right now, all he wanted was to make Gray happy, and he intended to make good on it.

The line for the Mosasaurus Show extended well beyond the designated position, and Gray was dismayed before Zach reminded him they had their bracelets. The youngest Mitchell grabbed Zach's hand and raced to the front of the line, flashing his bracelet and heading for the seating. Zach stopped to look over the edge of the concrete barrier, complete with ten foot bars, separating them from the exhibit. The water rolled easily, and the cool breeze left the air salty and his mouth dry. “Gray?” 

“Yeah?” The boy was staring at something on the ground, which he must have deemed unimportant because he kicked it away.

“Where do you wanna sit?”

“You can pick, Zach.”

“Me?”

Gray smiled at him deviously, “I don't see any other Zach's around.”

The teenager turned to his brother, crooked grin in place as he laughed. “You're getting too sassy.”

“I think I get it from Mom.”

“Probably,” Zach nodded in agreement, before turning to look at the stands. Anywhere he wanted huh? They were already filling up, and eventually Zach decided on a section that would give them a good view but still be within splash range. Gray compliantly followed him to the seats, where they sat and laughed together over small things. About the lady in the front row with a taco chip in her hair, and the kid with three dinosaur hats on at the same time. Eventually the stands were nearing full, and Gray took the opportunity to try and educate Zach on what they were about to see.

“Mosasaurus is really big, about 60 feet long. This one is really big, probably because of all the gene stuff they have to do to fill in the gaps. You know, like they did in Jurassic Park.” He used his hands to make a large mouth, clapping them down together as though they were jaws. “Thing is, it's also 15 tons or more! Which means it needs a lot of space. I don't think this place is big enough.” Zach hummed in agreement, looking out at the vast exhibit in front of them. Nothing had touched the surface of the water, and there was a lady heading towards the front. “I think they have 60 teeth too, probably more than Rexy!”

“Gray-”

“And she for sure has 60. But this Mosasaur might have even-”

“Gray I thi-”

“-ore teeth than that!”

“Gray!”

His brother turned his head, grinning in excitement. 

“Gray the show is going to start.”

Zach was exasperated, the kid could really drone on forever. But it was his passion, and who was Zach to deny him that? He smiled, even as Gray stood in his seat and bounced on the balls of his feet, trying his best to get a good view of the show. Zach watched his brother a little longer, enjoying the innocence and glee that was so evident on his face. How long would that last? As long as Zach could make it happen.

He turned to watch the show, ignoring the constant buzzing of his cell phone as he received more text messages. Veronica could wait, but this show was a once in a lifetime experience. He whooped and cheered along with the crowd as the dinosaur made her appearance, swimming elegant through the water and breaching for the food it was offered. The great white shark was nothing in comparison to this glorious beast, and Zach found himself jumping along with Gray. The water was warm against his skin, but refreshed him none the less. When the seats lowered into the Observatory, Gray held his hand, still a little afraid of the dark despite all the exhilaration. Zach watched, awed by the sheer size of the creature swimming in the ocean waters. He was suddenly very grateful that he didn't live when these things were common in the world.

Vaguely he wondered what Owen was doing, and if he should apologize for snapping earlier. Maybe he should. 

Zach watched the bubbles in the tank, and the blood gush out from another great white, filling the water like liquid smoke. 

He wanted to be with Owen again. The feelings he had when around the man were undeniable. He was fucking attractive. Zach would jump at the chance to even look at the guy. But... besides his more carnal desires, there was another need too. Zach was constantly vigilant, always keeping watch over Gray and his mother. He had to be the scapegoat, there wasn't any other way. But when Owen was around he didn't have to make decisions anymore. He was safe. 

He didn't know how he knew, or why he felt that way.

But he wanted to see him again.

Wanted to be safe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. We have gone from sex desires to protect desires. What're your thoughts?


	7. Friendly Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach and Gray go out to eat and their meal is interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! It's not a lot, but it's something. Not edited heavily, any mistakes are my own, please let me know!

Zach rifled through his suitcase, tossing clothes out onto the bed without a care in the world. Somewhere in here were things that looked at least half decent, and he would need them to go to dinner. Gray had his clothes out neatly folded, not digging through a congested pile like his older brother. He had selected a pair of gray shorts, and a navy collared shirt his mother had packed for him. The youngest Mitchell seemed to consider another shirt, before shrugging and taking his clothes to the bathroom to change. Zach watched him go, silently wishing his brother would at least think about helping him pick something. 

More like find something.

With a sigh, the teenager went back to looking through the clothes had had packed, pulling out a pair of dark jeans and another handful of shirts. By the time he had narrowed it down to two, a formal looking button up black, and a collared burgundy, Gray was out of the bathroom and striding over to the bed to get his socks and shoes. He sat on the floor and watched his brother, tying his shoes and looking up at Zach thoughtfully. 

“I would go with the burgundy.”

“Why?”

“Because black is formal, and red is just a nice color.”

“And you know what all the colors mean?”

Gray raised one eyebrow at him, something he had learned from his mother, “Of course I do.”

“Figures,” Zach snorted, but smiled fondly as he striped himself of his clothes. He wasn’t ashamed of nudity, and didn’t bother to shut the curtains. They were on the third floor anyway, and it was unlikely there were any perverts with telescopes aimed right at them. As for Claire, she would be too busy to come see them, and Zara was probably still looking for them. It was nearing seven o’clock, so the reservation would be ready for them by now. The two brothers had spent the entire day running from exhibit to exhibit, Gray stopping for pictures every ten feet. There would be at least one photo album filled by the end of the night it seemed. They had only seen Zara once, and she looked frightened and scattered despite her usual calm exterior.

Zach almost felt bad about that. Almost.

As soon as he was finished changing for dinner, he texted Claire that they were going out to eat, and to let Zara know they were fine in a moment of good judgement. No need to call a code Adam. 

“Gray? You good?”

“Yep!” The boy stood from the ground, looking down proudly at his shoes. He had taken the extra time to line the laces up perfectly, appreciating his work briefly before movement ruined them. Zach turned out the lights and locked the door, tucking the card key in with his cell phone. His wallet was stuffed down the back pocket of his jeans, and he kept Gray beside him as they moved through the hotel. 

In the evening most of the exhibits were closed, excluding the nocturnal houses and the shops. Everything here stayed open until all hours, to please the various types of clientele. On Main Street there were many families eating concession food, and a few dressed up heading the same direction they were. Seafood was expensive anyway, but here it would cost them out the ass. Zach kept a hand on his wallet and thanked goodness it wasn’t his money going into this place. 

Finally, they arrived and were escorted to their seats promptly. A few guests glared at them, and Zach shrugged at them, flashing his wristband and giving them his best smile. The table was set for four, and Zach took a seat beside Gray. It was positioned in the corner, well away from most of the others and rested against a wall on one side and the aquarium on the other. Gray seemed to consider his seating options, before taking the seat opposite the aquarium so he could watch the fish swim by. Zach chose the corner seat, opting for a view of the room rather than the scenery. 

“Zach?”

“Hm?”

“Should we have invited Aunt Claire?”

“Probably.”

The older Mitchell glanced at his phone, seeing that his message had been read but not replied to. “But she knows we are here, so if she wants to come she can.” Not really true, since he hadn’t specified the restaurant. But Gray didn’t need to know that. He tucked his phone away and noticed a waiter walking in their direction, a tray of drinks on one arm. He stopped to flash a dazzling smile at a family across the way, placing drinks in front of each one in turn. After promising to return when they were done with their menus, he headed over to their table.

“Hello! Welcome, how are you doing tonight sirs?” 

He held his tray beneath his arm, and slid menus in front of them promptly. “Good thanks, how are you?” Gray took his menu excitedly, perhaps for the first time being called ‘sir’ and not getting a child’s menu. “I am quite well thank you! My name is Adrian, and I will be your server this evening. May I start you off with something to drink?” Zach returned the friendly grin, and opened his menu to the drink section. Gray picked chocolate milk, and Zach squinted at the words to try and see them better. Eventually he decided on water, and Adrian left them swiftly after taking it down. 

“You should get glasses again Zach.”

Zach looked at his brother and shrugged, not wanting to go into the topic. A while back he had a pair, but as the… confrontations with Scott got worse they eventually got broken a few too many times. The last eye appointment he had was with Scott there, and he had lied about Zach’s eyes correcting themselves. At the time he had been too timid to say anything, so as his grades got worse and people asked questions he tried for the bad boy image. It worked, and for the most part served him well as a shield. People assumed he was an angsty teenager who thought the world hated him, and in fact, that was to his advantage. The more they figured it was a normal phase the fewer questions they asked.

Gray swung his legs beneath the table and watched the various sorts of fish swim by in the aquarium, a few times pointing and making an excited squeak when he thought he saw a large shadow. “I think that’s the mosasaur!” Zach peered into the water, starting to darken with the oncoming night, “You think you saw it?” Gray nodded, and got up on his knees to lean over the table. The silverware clinked together and the vase in the center of the table fell over as his excitement took reign. Zach didn’t see anything in the water, and righted the vase before looking back at his menu. Mostly seafood. Yuck.

He did find the “alternative” section of the menu, and was leaning towards the steak and caesar salad. Gray was still staring intently at the menu, trying to find what dish he wanted most.

“What do you think of scallops?”

“I try not to.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Not compared to the oyster platter. It comes with a special sauce I think.”

“I don’t like seafood Gray. I’m probably the wrong person to ask.”

Gray looked up, and hummed in agreement, looking over his shoulder for something. Zach closed his menu and leaned back to rest, sighing deeply. Being inside somewhere air-conditioned was nice, but it was nearing frigid in their small corner. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them Adrian was heading back their way. 

“Something I can help you with?”

Gray nodded his head emphatically, having gestured him over. “Yeah, I was wondering, what do you recommend? I haven’t had this one before,” he pointed at something on the menu, “But I think I want to try this too.” Adrian smiled, and indulgingly, began to inform Gray on the good and bad about the food on the list. Zach didn’t know half the words, and really did try to listen up until they started talking about squid ink. 

Instead he thought about Owen. 

Was he out of line? Telling Owen to mind his own business? It wasn’t like the guy had offended him or anything. But really it wasn’t any of his business. Not his place. But concern was a funny thing that way. And still, how could he be concerned about him? They had just met. Not even a day ago, and already this was happening. Zach wasn’t used to being protected, not even by his mother. That was his job. To be the one in the middle of it all, to take it all so she didn’t have to. To make sure Gray didn’t see any of it. And now Owen just wanted to come into his life like this and be the protector. But, he relented to himself, staring at the cover of the menu in front of him, that wasn’t really the problem. 

The problem was that he wanted to be protected by him.

He was drawn from his thoughts by Adrian, who had taken Gray’s order and was now looking at him expectantly, pen poised over the notebook in his hand. 

“And for yourself sir?

“Oh,” Zach roused himself, and told the server what he wanted. With a smile a flourish, Adrian took the menus from them and took Gray’s chocolate milk cup to be refilled. The boy looked rather pleased with his selection, and had gone back to staring intently at the aquarium.

“Hey Gray?” 

“Yeah?”

“What did you think of Owen today?”

“Oh. He was cool! And he knows things.”

Zach chuckled, wondering just how many things Owen knew. “What kind of things?”

“About dinosaurs, and what they need to be happy and stuff,” he sat up a bit straighter, and licked his lips before continuing, “Some of the people who work here think of the like objects.”

“Well, I mean it is a theme park.”

“That’s not the point. They still need to treat them nicely.”

“Not everyone gets treated nicely Gray.”

“I know. But they should be happy! Rexy needs a bigger home. She’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah, you had been saying.”

Their conversation drifted from topic to topic, and Zach was really starting to feel his hunger when Gray tugged on his sleeve. “Zach! Look!”

Zach did look. Zach regretted looking.

Owen stood at the front of the restaurant, dressed casual but far more formal than before. He wore long dark pants and a crisp brown shirt rolled up to his elbows. Zach felt his eyes wander the man, a sudden intake of breath when he turned and locked eyes with him.

The raptor trainer cast a glowing grin to the woman in front of him, charming his way through the entrance so he could stride towards their table. The closer he got the faster Zach’s heartbeat, and the more he wanted to run. He remained seated, never breaking eye contact.

“Hi Owen! How did you know we were here?”

He smiled up at the man, and then took his seat back. Owen sat across from Zach, beside Gray and facing away from the way he had just come. “Oh, I remembered you looking over here when we were in the square earlier. Thanks again for inviting me Gray.” The boy nodded and then laughed when Owen pointed out a rather large fish swimming passed them. Zach tried his best not to look too worried, and smiled at his brothers’ obvious happiness. If Gray liked him he couldn’t be all bad.

In the next little while, Adrian returned with Gray’s chocolate milk, and took Owen’s order of a chicken parmesan and garlic bread. They talked about everything, focusing mainly on Owen and his raptors. Gray was all too excited to learn about them, and kept most of the attention on himself. Zach was grateful, but didn’t miss the glances Owen sent his way. His smile was all too charming, a flash of white teeth and sensual lips. Still, very slowly the tension dissipated and Zach allowed himself to join the conversation after the food had arrived.

“So they only get fed once a day?” Gray took a bite of his food as he asked, eyes going wide in appreciation at the taste. Owen had yet to bite into his own meal, but began cutting the chicken as he answered the thousandth question. “Well, they get fed a few times throughout. Just snacks and things. Rewards for when they do well.” Here he turned to Zach and smiled, taking a bite of his food. Zach watched a pink tongue lick those lips, those sinfully attractive lips. He blinked, flushing lightly before turning to his own plate, refusing to be taken in again. “That makes sense. But they shouldn’t be hungry all the time,” Gray murmured, looking at his brother, “Do you think so Zach?”

The teenager looked thoughtful, before shrugging, “Well. I guess food is incentive to do what they’re told. So the more hungry they are, the better they’ll listen, right?” His brother hummed in agreement, and took another bite. 

“So what are their names?” Zach jutted his chin out at Owen, reaching for his glass of water. The raptor trainer gave him a peculiar look, but swallowed a large bite of spaghetti and garlic bread before answering. “There’s Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo,” he responded, smiling fondly at their names, “My girls, my troublemakers.”

Zach raised an eyebrow, “What sort of trouble?”

Oh, you know, the sort where they want me to bring you into the pack.

Owen bit his tongue at the thought, but shrugged, “They like to pretend to be scary a lot. It’s probably better that people think they’re animals that would eat you as soon as you move.”

“But they aren’t?”

“Oh, hell no, kid,” Owen chuckled, wondering just how honest he was going to be with these two, “They like their space. And they’ll protect their own.”

Gray piped up, “Like a pack.”

The man nodded and pointed at Gray with a piece of chicken on his fork, “That’s exactly right. But it’s a lot more than that too.” 

“What do you mean?” The youngest boy cocked his head in confusion. 

Owen had taken the bite, and gestured an empty fork in circles while he swallowed. “Well, I mean it’s a relationship right? They’re built on trust. Mutual respect. Otherwise it’s not much of anything. That’s why I can be around them safely and other people can’t.”

Zach hummed while Gray pondered, and once more met Owen’s eyes. They were bright and clear, and the teenager very much wanted to stare at them forever. Yet there was more to the gaze, a depth that there hadn’t been before. A statement. He was respecting Zach’s wishes of keeping quiet about before. So it was only fair, Zach decided, that he return the respect and give the guy a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter will have some plot relationship stuff start to happen. So be on the look out for that sometime this month.


	8. When Can I See You Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach and Gray have a nice dinner with Owen, and Owen deals with an angsty pack of raptors when he gets home.

Tension died down at the table, and the meal slowly progressed. Not that any of the three minded the time spent together, Gray was alight with happiness, a candle burning bright at the information he was prying from Owen. Zach played his older brother part, scolding Gray when it was appropriate for being so talkative and insistent with his questions. More than once the younger brother nearly spilled the drinks on the table, lifting himself up and leaning over his food, and Zach was careful to ensure everything returned to its place when he finally sat down again.

The only thing Zach was disappointed in was Owen’s unwillingness to talk about himself. He found out the bare minimum about the man, and his own desire to know more gnawed at the back of his head. Gray dominated the conversation, and even though Zach asked his own questions they were usually evaded. But then he did the same when it came to questions for himself. 

“So Owen,” Zach began, taking a bite of his food and chewing thoughtfully.

“Hm?”

“How long have you worked here?”

The man whistled a breath out of his mouth, squinting his eyes at something above Zach’s head, “Oh geez, probably too long. I started out as a temp, you know. Just watched the raptors, didn’t do much with ‘em.” He stretched his arms upwards and then cocked his head at Zach with a smile; “My girls are the only ones who make this place bearable sometimes.” 

Zach nodded, not a direct answer to his question, but better than nothing. He took another bite before trying again, speaking before Gray could swallow his bite of fish, “What did you do before this?” 

“Yeah Owen! What did you do? I mean there aren’t velociraptors anywhere else.” 

Zach silently thanked his brother for giving unknown aid, as it was quickly becoming clear Owen had a soft spot for his brother. The idea made Zach’s stomach curl with jealousy, but he shoved it down as quickly as it rose. No sense in getting jealous over something so trivial. He looked up, only to see Owen was watching him again, his eyebrow raised. He knew he was prying, and he flushed, dipping his head to look down at his plate. 

“Well, for a while I was in the Navy. Got to work on a few special projects. Nothing exciting.” Owen kept his eyes on Zach, even as he took another bite of his food and chewed thoughtfully. “It wasn’t for me though. I quit and then got hired on here a bit later. They needed someone who could,” here he paused, searching for the right word, “train the raptors.” Even then, he didn’t look satisfied with the word choice, but settled for having a few more bites.

That evening Zach learned a few interesting things about Owen, and dare he say it, he had a good time. The man was always careful with how he talked, measured, like saying the wrong thing might set something off. He was patient, and answered all of Gray’s questions. The youngest Mitchell had a particular interest in Rexy, and though that wasn’t Owen’s area of expertise, he promised to get the information from a co-worker. Zach was especially interested in the raptors, if only because he had noticed off the bat how Owen lit up when he talked about them. His eyes softened and became brighter it seemed, his posture taller with pride. He cared about them a lot, and Zach was no stranger to the phrase, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” 

He mentally made notes of important bits so he might have something to talk to Owen about in the future. Because by the way things were going they were going to see a lot of him on this trip.

When finally the three males were ready to go, Owen got the bill much to Zach’s chagrin. The teenager covered the tip instead, leaving a little extra than normal. Their waiter had been nicer than any he’d been served by before. They walked out together; Zach beside Owen and Gray bouncing ahead of them in his dress clothes, brown curls bouncing. It was quiet mostly, though Gray had started to hum the theme park music. 

“He’s a good kid.”

Zach nodded, smiling at his younger brother. 

“Yeah, he is.”

The quiet that followed was comfortable, and Zach ducked his head and flushed when he noticed Owen watching him. This earned a chuckle from the older man, and he shook his head before continuing on looking ahead. They arrived at the hotel all too quickly. 

The lobby wasn’t busy, and the atmosphere was sleepy. Gray’s energy had rapidly declined the closer they got, and now he drooped in front of them. Zach sighed, and turned to look up at Owen from beneath his bangs. “I guess we should call it a night, huh?”

Owen nodded and put his hands in his pockets; trying for casual though he was disappointed their fun was over. “Yeah, probably. It was nice though to see you guys. Thanks for letting me crash your party.”

Zach grinned and shrugged, “Wasn’t really a party, our Aunt didn’t even show up.” Here his eyes positively glittered, and Owen was surprised at the sudden mischievous look, “Now that would have been a party.” 

The man across from him raised an eyebrow, and then glanced down at Gray, who appeared to be asleep leaning on his brother. He leaned in, placing a gentle hand on Zach’s upper arm, slowly so that the teen couldn’t be surprised at any sudden movements. As it was he tensed, but only just, and relaxed into the touch smoothly, going so far as to lean into it. 

“It was really nice to see you again, Zach.”

He spoke low, and something stirred in Zach’s belly. He wanted to cage the stupid butterflies and throw them out the window, but maybe just this one time he would let them stay. He felt blood rush to his face, and he allowed a small smile. 

“It was nice to see you too.”

Just then Gray let out a soft snort, wrinkling his nose and nuzzling into Zach’s sleeve. The older chuckled, and carefully guided him to the elevator, Owen in tow. Conveniently it was waiting at the bottom floor, and Owen pressed the button to open the door for the brothers. It might have been his imagination, but when Zach carefully rested Gray against him and pressed the button to go up, he noticed Owen frown a little, but it disappeared as quickly as it was there. Before the door closed entirely, Zach stopped it with his hand, face still red from before as he asked, “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure of it.”

Zach let the door close.

-

Owen stood out front of the hotel for a few moments, wishing he had an actual reason for being upset. It wasn’t like he even really knew Zach, though from the start he noticed how adorable he was, it was a lot different than… well, knowing someone. That thought pecking at his brain, he started the trek towards the garage behind the main security hub for Main Street, where his bike was parked. The ride there had been nice enough, and he knew the paths well enough that the dark wouldn’t bother him.

It didn’t take long for him to get to the raptor paddock, and he changed into a spare pair of clothes in his office. He was pulling on his shirt as he left the room, smiling when he saw Barry headed his way. 

“Hey Barry,” he greeted, tugging his shirt down onto his torso and fixing it at the bottom. The other man grinned in return, clapping his superior on the shoulder, “Owen! How was dinner?” 

“Eh, food is food, you know?” 

“Even here it gets to be the usual,” Barry agreed, stretching his arms upwards and sighing as his spine cracked, “The girls missed you at feeding time.”

Ah, yes. His girls typically liked to be fed by their Alpha, but once in a while Owen was busy, like tonight. So Barry would fill in, and they would have to, for lack of a better term, suck it up. “They pissy then?” Owen laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. If they were upset at him he’d have to head over and console them. Angry raptors were something they seldom had on their hands and for good reason. After the first time it was a wonder the project wasn’t shut down. 

Barry jutted his chin towards the enclosure, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “I think that’d be wise. Even Delta was upset.” He seemed irritated that the girls hadn’t cared for him feeding them. Though he wasn’t the Alpha, he did have a soft spot for them and them for he, and the idea that there was someone else they liked better didn’t sit well with him. Owen felt a pang of guilt, but didn’t apologise as he said his goodnights and headed towards the entrance. 

The trees and underbrush remained still, though he knew they must have caught his scent on the evening breeze already. The lights about the enclosure ensured everything was well lit, since the first time they had tried to escape and nearly succeeded was night. Owen opened the first door and locked it behind him with practiced ease, and did the same with the second. Once inside the enclosure, he noticed two things.

One, Blue hadn’t left a single scrap of food on the cow carcass in front of him. Most of the bones were snapped, and though the ground was stained with blood there were no meat or organs left to it. It was proper for them to save him a few pieces, because he was the Alpha. But if Blue was this mad that he missed feeding time then that meant the other girls wouldn’t be pleased either. Owen peered into the bushes, trying to catch a glimpse of their scales in the evening light. He saw nothing, but he knew they were there watching. 

“Come on guys, don’t be like this.”

He sighed, starting to head towards their den in the center of the enclosure. It wasn’t really a cave, more like a small indent in the earth. They had coaxed the largest tree to grow its roots around it, creating a makeshift rail and separating it from the higher ground. He could see one set of glowing eyes as he approached it, trying for a smile as he approached. 

Before he could get close enough to see which raptor lay watching him, Echo and Delta jumped from the bushes to land behind him, effectively cutting off his escape. Not that he was worried about it, but the hair on the back of his neck rose and his pulse quickened. His girls wouldn’t hurt him, but he knew they were upset. Owen didn’t make a habit of missing evening feedings, but he had missed several the passed little while for meetings with Claire or Masrani, and now this time for Zach and Gray.

He stood his ground, even as Charlie crept towards him from the side. That left his Beta. His gloriously tempered Beta. 

Blue growled.

Alright, perhaps not.

Owen raised a hand, one, not a sign of surrender but a sign for calm, and continued moving towards her. The raptor raised her head from her claws, eyes narrowed and jaws parted. The stripe across her body seemed impossibly dark in the evening light, and where streams of the spotlights hit her body the blue was a vibrant azure. “Blue, come on now,” Owen tried, ignoring the snarl from Echo behind him and continuing on. 

Blue stood from her nest, claws digging into the earth in her irritation. She snapped at him, a low growl in her throat a daring statement. 

You’re abandoning us.

And Owen hadn’t been. Not really. Work just… work got in the way. It had been easier before when Hoskins wasn’t constantly trying to get a field test running and pushing his nose around where it aught not be. Back when Claire didn’t need him for other projects, and when Masrani thought of the raptors as a lost cause. The raptor trainer knew he wasn’t around as much; not nearly enough as an Alpha should be for his pack. He felt bad about it, but there wasn’t a lot he could do. He couldn’t stay in the paddock all the time.

“Blue,” he tried again; now close enough to touch her snout. The growling didn’t stop, but her jaws closed as he touched her snout, rubbing between her nostrils in gentle circles. “I’m sorry, Blue. I am.” His tone was apologetic, and even though it took a few moments, the raptor in front of him relaxed, her hackles no longer raised as though ready to pounce. He let his hand be nosed away, and raised his arms to allow her to scent him properly as she shifted to her full height. Her scales were cold against his bare skin, and her inhales loud in the humid air. She rubbed her neck on his, and nosed at his chest and hands. 

She snorted, and pulled back shaking her head, rubbing her nose in the dirt. The colognes from the restaurant didn’t agree with her nasal pallet. Owen had to agree; he smelled far too much like civilization. 

After Blue had had her fill of her Alpha, his other girls had their turns, having reactions very similar. Owen made a mental promise to clean himself more thoroughly before coming to see them. They were lonely without him, and he did need to be there more. “Sorry guys,” he repeated, scratching the top of Echo’s head while Delta played with his bootlaces, “Things just keep getting in the way, you know?” Here, Blue chittered, looking at him with a knowing glint in her intelligent eyes. She could smell Zach on him, and another scent, familial to the first. She released a sound not unlike a bark, short and quiet, clicking her longest talon into the ground. 

Owen shrugged, even as he was nearly bowled over by Delta’s affections, fingers still scratching at Echo and making her purr. He watched Charlie hop over Blue and curl up, getting ready to sleep for the night. “I’ll bring him to meet you guys soon, I promise.” Blue chirped, and nipped his shoulder in warning from earlier, but turned to join her sister. They were still cross with him, but it seemed the knowledge that he was with Zach sated their irritation for now. 

Owen left the compound with Echo at his heels, trying to nuzzle his fingers and get him to return to his previous actions. He scratched her once more and smiled apologetically, before closing the gate and effectively separating him from his pack. He missed them already, and even as he watched a droopy-tailed Echo wander back into the trees, he wished he could see them all again. He would have to spend tomorrow with them to make up for tonight. And that meant bringing Zach here, more accurately, Zach and Gray.

And, technically speaking, it wasn’t anything weird, right?

If anything were to get started the way Owen wanted them to, Zach would have to meet his only family eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it's taking me so long, but I promise I haven't given up on this story. Just don't you guys either! We will get there I promise! This one was super short but with any luck the next one will be longer and more exciting. Maybe even... a kiss. Or something. I mean who knows.
> 
> Also I just. I had to make Blue a little bit motherly in this chapter. Just had to.


	9. I Didn't Ask You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach has a bad night, and when Owen takes the boys to meet his girls, they have an unwanted visitor.

Zach couldn’t stop thinking about Owen. 

As soon as he was back in the hotel room, his flush had faded, and he concentrated on getting gray into bed. He changed the boy and tucked him in, texting Zara to let them know they were back in the hotel. It seemed Claire needed her for something, because her response was clipped, and he could tell she wanted to say more. But he hadn’t mentioned they left her for a while and she hadn’t told their Aunt, so it was a mutual agreement to ignore the issue. After he had ensured Gray was asleep, he took to the shower, trying to rid himself of seafood and perfume smells.

Along with thoughts of Owen.

Who was he kidding? The shower wouldn’t help with that, and the teenager knew it. 

Zach stood in the luxurious bath tub, two hands pressed against the wall in front of him and his head hung low as he contemplated their dinner guest. Owen was… he was so wonderful. Not only attractive, but he seemed genuinely interested in what Zach had to say, no pretending or anything. So much unlike kids his own age, who wanted sex and nothing else. Except…

Except Zach had seen the look in Owen’s eye that time by the fountain. It was hungry, it wasn’t interested. He had looked at Zach like he was a piece of meat, not someone to woo. But, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and looked up into the spray, tonight it hadn’t seemed like that at all. He wasn’t unaware of people lying to get what they wanted, but Owen really did sound like he was telling the truth. And Zach knew his feelings, even if he refused to admit them. The truth was, he liked Owen so far. He liked him a lot. His body certainly mirrored this to a more extreme level, and his heart was slowly softening to the man.

He couldn’t decide if that was good or not. Every part of his brain was screaming at him not to get too involved. Not just for his hearts sake. 

One, the guy was, like what, fifty? Okay, exaggeration, but still.

Two, he worked with Claire. That’d just be weird.

Three, Zach was only going to be here for a week, two tops if Gray could use those puppy dog eyes on their Aunt.

And four… well he couldn’t see him having a crush on a much older wild man going so well at home. 

And still, the more he thought about the problem the more he thought about Owen, and he felt himself warm as the thoughts became less and less negative. Like any and all teenagers, it didn’t take very much for Zach to get turned on, and this moment was no exception. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel his cock swelling slowly, thickening and rising at the thought of the older man. He balled his fists, trying to will it away so he could go back to his shower and get things done. 

It didn’t work.

With a quiet groan, Zach let his head fall again and he opened his eyes, looking at his dick as hot water poured over his head. Licking his lips, he took himself in his hand and began stroking gently, small things which sent shivers down his spine. The wetness allowed for a smooth motion and he bit his lip, trying to stay quiet as his pace increased. It had been a while since he had masturbated, but his body was well versed in the motions. One hand kept him standing while the other kept at its work, up and down around his shaft. He only wished it were a mouth instead, and with that simple thought more were summoned.

More specifically thoughts of a certain raptor trainer.

Images of Owen flipped through his head like wildfire, flickering through and setting his veins to boil. Zach could picture him, what he might look like underneath those clothes and that vest he always wore. He’d be toned, more defined than Zach was, and firm, so firm. He’d be able to run his hands over every contour of his body, with his palms, his fingers, his tongue. If only Owen would let him, he would map every inch of the man, commit it to memory, as if he could forget worshiping a god.

Zach’s pace became staggered, moving faster and with less precision, more fevered as he continued. He knew Owen’s smell, like the jungle and soil and sweat. He imagined it to be stronger, more musky, more Owen. His dick twitched at the thought, and this time the teenager really did moan. Owen was far too confident to be small, and his breath hitched at the idea of the man’s cock, hard and pressed against his ass. He could almost picture it, slightly curved, throbbing and hot against his skin, rubbing up and down teasingly. Somehow Zach knew Owen wouldn’t give it to him easily, he would take his time. Make him beg before he got what he wanted so desperately. 

He moaned, legs beginning to tremble and his brow knitting together as he fought for control of his body. He was close, so very close. His fingernails dug into his palm while his other hand became erratic, losing rhythm for the sake of speed. His balls tightened beneath his cock and then Zach was coming. 

He did not see as his cum spurt and cover the tiles in front of him, joining the water rivulets in their descent down to the drain. He did not feel the sting of the cuts in his palm, or the soreness in his wrist and the trembling of his legs. Zach had never had an orgasm quite like that before. His heart hammered in his chest, and his breathing was laboured as he basked in the pleasure of his climax.

After several minutes, his shaking subsided, and he straightened to his full height with a short sigh. Apparently it had been far too long.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, he washed up and finished his shower, towelling off before changing into his pyjamas. The cotton shirt was too big, and his pants were loose around his hips, just the way he preferred to sleep. He stood at the entrance to the bathroom for a long time, all the lights off, trying to decide which bed he wanted to sleep in. There were two of course, and Gray slept peacefully in one, having not stirred since Zach had placed him there. It felt… wrong to crawl into bed with his little brother after doing that to himself. But he was feeling so inexplicably lonely all of a sudden. It took him a few more minutes to decide, but in the end he chose the empty bed.

Though Zach didn’t want to think about what he’d just done, the quiet didn’t allow this and his mind drifted back. He had just masturbated to a man he hardly knew. There was shame there, but only because it felt wrong to do that to someone he hadn’t had a full one-on-one conversation with. Zach curled up on his side, hugging a pillow to his chest as he considered this, staring out the window across the park. There was a draw of some sort towards Owen, and he knew that. There just…

There just shouldn’t be. Couldn’t be.

He buried his face into the pillow, suddenly not feeling very well. Any afterglow he’d had vanished, and instead he felt sick. If Scott ever found out…

-

“Zach wait up!”

The boy in question just laughed, his glasses sliding low on his nose. The summer breeze had a chill to it that could only belong to oncoming autumn, the leaves already beginning to change. He sprinted across the field of his high school, best friend Chris in tow. There was a flush in his cheeks and butterflies in his stomach, as he turned to look back and didn’t slow, “You’ll have to be faster if you wanna keep up!”

Today was the day.

He’d been waiting for a chance, a chance to finally try something he’d been wanting. Scott had a meeting that was running late today, so he wouldn’t be home for at least two hours after Zach. Plenty of time for some fun. Zach raced Chris to his house, stopping and bending over to lean on his knees, panting and trying to gain his breath. Chris had been half a block away, and did the same, going so far as to almost collapse to the ground. 

“How,” the other boy began, speaking between breaths, “on earth, can, you run, so fucking, fast?” He laughed at himself, standing and letting a whistle out as he arched his back in a quick stretch. Zach stood, looking at him with a lopsided grin, “Sports my man, sports.” 

Chris clicked his tongue, “Never heard of ‘em, oh well.”

Zach looked around, ducking his head and hiding behind his bangs self consciously, “We could always work on your cardio.” Chris had the decency to blush, and pushed Zach’s shoulder playfully as the two headed up the walk. While Zach unlocked the door Chris dared for a grab at his ass, which the eldest Mitchell boy laughed at as he ducked inside and pulled Chris in with him. 

It didn’t take very long for Chris to nudge Zach up against the wall after they got into his bedroom, knee between his legs and hands all over. Zach wasted no time in undoing the zipper to Chris’s pants, their mouths finding each other quickly and coming together with familiarity. They had made out plenty of times, and gone so far as to jack each other off in the school bathrooms. But for this round they had time, however limited, and the privacy to go all the way.

And that was something Zach so desperately wanted.

Chris moaned his name when Zach lead a trail of kisses and nips to his neck, sucking on the skin just about his shoulder. He didn’t worry it too much, fearing leaving a mark, but continued on downwards, his hands spreading the button up apart and revealing dark skin. There was a smattering of hair on his chest, which Zach appreciated with a low groan of his own as he moved down, slowly sinking to his knees. He’d never sucked cock before, but his mouth salivated at the thought.

Chris watched him from above, brown eyes hazed over with lust. Zach’s fingers played at the top of pants, dipping inside and pulling them do-

A key in the lock downstairs. 

Zach saw Chris’s eyes flicker from pleasure into fear. He saw his own mirrored inside them, wide like a deer in the headlights. 

“Zach! Where are you? Why is the door locked?”

He could her Scott’s heavy steps on the floor, fast and headed up the stairs. He stood and righted himself as fast as possible, helping Chris with the shirt buttons since he was most undressed. He was scared. He couldn’t hear anything, they were going to get caught, he was caught. What would happen to Chris? Oh God Oh God Oh God O-

“Zach!” Chris hissed out, making a mad dash towards his backpack and opening it, pulling a textbook out and sitting with it on his lap at a random page. Zach stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. He watched the doorway, hair rumpled and lips still swollen from their kisses. 

In moments Scott stood in his doorway, features hard and fists clenched at his sides. He was bigger than Zach, and this was not the posture he took when he was playing around.

“Why was the door locked?”

Zach swallowed, his brain trying to make sense of what he should say. He opened his mouth and nothing came out.

“That was me, sir,” Chris said from the floor, looking up at Scott cautiously, “It’s reflex. When I get home it’s the first thing I do.”

“Get out of my house.”

Chris leaned forward, managing a meek, “I’m sorry?”

“Get out of my house!”

Zach had never seen Chris move so fast, and as glad as he was that the boy was escaping, he desperately didn’t want to be alone in this. He watched in a daze as his best friend shoved the book back into his bag, and raced down the stairs. He wanted to follow him, but he couldn’t. He turned to look at Scott head on, his hands shaking violently when he saw the man hadn’t turned his gaze from him. Zach made to move towards the door and then there was pain.

It took less than five seconds for Zach to hit the floor, blow after blow landing across his body, his chest, his ribs, the side of his head. He felt blood gushing inside his mouth choked, even as a boot connected with his stomach. Zach looked up and blinked with blurred eyes, his glasses having been tossed from his face, undoubtedly broken somewhere in the room. 

“We didn’t do anything!”

“I didn’t ask you.”

-

That was the day he made the mistake of thinking things would be okay. It was the day he had trusted his stepfather’s word for the first time, the words, “I’ll be home late.” 

Zach didn’t trust much of anything after that.

He couldn’t remember moving beds, or when he had started to cry. But Zach found himself in bed with Gray, holding the smaller body to his chest and crying softly into the brown curls. As long as he was okay, that was what mattered. 

Just as long as he was okay.

-

Owen drove up to Main Street early in the morning, headed straight for the main hub. Claire wouldn’t stop calling him, and as lovely as that would have been months ago, it wasn’t then. She sounded frustrated, and by the fifth call couldn’t be bothered to leave any more messages. The facts were, Claire had driven down to “his shack” as she so eloquently put it, looking for him because Masrani requested his expertise on some sort of top-secret project. Top secret his ass. Everyone knew they had a genetically engineered dinosaur almost ready for show; at least that was the word on the street.

He had decided on taking a jeep today, since he planned to pick up the boys after this whole meeting was done. The sun had only just finished edging over the horizon, and the day was young. He’d fed the girls and then it was business before fun.

Honestly he was just excited to see the kids again. Gray’s energy was exciting, and Zach… well. Owen just wanted to see him.

It was with the feeling of a man heading to his own funeral that he parked his jeep behind the Hammond Creation Lab, stuffing the keys in his pocket and entering through the back entrance. It was with relative ease that he found Claire, pacing the lab and yelling at Wu about something. Her white suite was crisp and clean, her hair immaculate as always. When she caught sight of him her features grew even sterner, if that were possible, and she went on at the scientist about something else before storming out of his office. 

Owen shook his head, sighing before striding into the hall adjoining the office and the rest of the building, and was met with the feistiest redhead he’d ever met. 

“Where the hell have you been? You know you’re here to work, not to play around Mr. Grady.”

“It’s Owen,” he answered, looking at her with an amused expression, “What’s got you so riled? Wu break something? Set something loose maybe?”

She narrowed her eyes, and began walking passed him, clearly expecting him to follow. “I’m not in the moody, Mr. Grady.”

“Owen,” he stressed, pursing his lips and jogging to catch up with her quick stride. How women walked in high heels he would never know, but anyone who could speed around like her deserved an award. “So what’s going on anyway? Some sort of inspection?”

“Yes, one of our assets is proving to be… difficult.”

“By asset you mean a dinosaur.”

Claire turned to look at him as they reached the end of the hall, and she rolled her eyes as she opened it and entered her makeshift office. It overlooked Main Street, all the way down to the Mosasaurus exhibit. Owen didn’t admire the view and instead plunked himself down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, leaning back in a state of complete ease. Fake it till you make it, right? “Yes I mean a dinosaur,” she responded, taking a holopad out from the drawer, entering a password and typing something up. “What else would that mean? It’s what we do here.”

“Oh I don’t know, we do a few things here and there, really,” Owen replied, grin on his face as he watched her. She looked akin to a panther, ready to strike at any given moment. She was fierce and he never doubted that. 

“Fact of the matter is, Mr. Grady, I don’t see why we need you to look at it at all. But Mr. Masrani thinks it would be best.”

“Right,” he raised an eyebrow, “because my girls try and get out so much, is that it?”

“Yes, since your assets try to escape so often, you’ve had to get,” here her mouth quirked upwards in a smirk, “smarter than what you were. You had to be smarter than they are.”

“Uh huh. So you want me to escape proof a paddock?”

“Mr. Masrani would like that, yes.”

“But you wouldn’t?”

“I don’t want you to inspect anything, Mr. Grady.”

“Owen.”

“We need to get this done as soon as possible. Do you know when you’re available next? What about this afternoon?”

Owen leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at her with the most serious look he could muster, “Can’t, I have a date.”

Claire felt her jaw drop, but quickly retracted it and swallowed.

“Well, Mr. Grady as I have mentioned you are here to work, not t-“

“Today is my day off, actually.” She looked at him, clearly exasperated and frustrated with his unwillingness to comply. Owen took some pity on her then, though he was enjoying himself, “But I can do tomorrow. After my session with the girls I’ll head straight there.” Her posture relaxed, face softening and she nodded, “Thank you.”

Owen tipped an invisible hat her direction, and stood to leave. He smiled at her, friendly now, and she returned a small one of her own. However much they had gotten off on the wrong foot, they were alright now, and dare Owen admit it, friends. He left the office before he could think of it too much. He had an outing to attend.

-

Zara came to see them that morning, looking every bit as beautiful as she had the first day, though less composed. Zach and Gray made everything out to be normal, and she had no problem with resolving nothing had happened. The younger brother was packing his backpack and the pouch at his waist, carefully selecting things he might need from his suitcase. Zach on the other hand had very little to prepare for, and had selected a nice pair of jeans and a maroon shirt, deciding last minute on a light gray sweater. It was too hot for them, but he had fair skin and learned the hard way to deal with the heat instead of a burn.

Gray was all excitement and practically vibrated with it as they left the suite, Zara in tow. Zach had to admit that he was in very good spirits despite last night. His eyes still burned slightly from crying, but he was better. When they entered the lobby and then Main Street, he was surprised to see Owen leaning against a lamppost, knee crooked and arms crossed. He saw them, and squinting in the morning sun he raised a hand in a single wave. Gray bounced and looked at Zach, grabbing his sleeve before running towards the raptor trainer. Zach turned to Zara, who was texting someone on her phone and hadn’t looked up since the elevator.

“Hey Zara? Me and Gray are gonna go hang out with-“ he hesitated, wondering if perhaps he should mention Owen’s name. He had to make it sound super boring so she wouldn’t want to come, “the group of tourists over there.” He pointed in the general direction of the tour guide area, looking at her with the most honest smile he could muster. “Gray wants to watch Rexy be fed again today, and then we were gonna head to the gyro-spheres.” 

She looked up at him then, trying to process his words and the ones on her phone at the same time. It took a moment, but she nodded, and stuffed her phone in her bag with a sigh. “Alright, let’s go then-“ “What I mean is, you don’t have to come with us.” She looked at him with wide eyes, narrowing them when she realised he was trying to get rid of her. “Look Zach, I promised your Aunt I would watch you guys. It’s my job.” Zach bit his lip, trying to find a valid argument. It didn’t take long. “Right,” he agreed, “But you’ve also got your wedding to plan. And me and Gray were fine yesterday. Sorry about that, by the way… he got a little excited.” She pursed her lips, but her features softened. “I appreciate it Zach. But,” and here her chin jutted out as though to say she couldn’t be swayed on this point, “You have to text me once every hour. If you don’t I come looking for you. Agreed?” Zach nodded, “Yeah, Agreed. See you later!”

“Take care of your brother!”

Zach was grinning as he jogged down the stairs, looking back in time to see the hotel door close and the woman enter it once more. Far too easy. 

“Hey Zach,” Owen smiled in greeting, switching his weight to his other foot, “Took you guys long enough! Here I thought you were excited to see my girls.” Gray gasped, looking up at the man in horror, “What do you mean? How long were you out here? Will you still take us?” The man looked taken aback, and with a nervous chuckle patted Gray’s head, “I was just kidding. Of course we can still go.”

They both relaxed when they realised it was a joke, and laughed at themselves while Zach shook his head. Honestly.

“So I brought a jeep down from the enclosure. Just so you know, it’s usually off limits so stick close to me unless I say so. I run the place, so no one should give you guys trouble. You good to go?” Owen looked at them both expectantly, and Gray was all too eager to be on the way. He jumped forward onto Owen’s arm, looking up at him and pulling on it slightly. “Yeah, let’s go!”

“Gray!” Zach scolded, tugging on his brothers’ sleeve as he glanced up at Owen shyly. His brother could be a handful sometimes, and he was embarrassed on his behalf. The raptor trainer caught his eyes, a glint there which could only be described as fond, and Owen turned away from them with a smile to head out, “Alright, let’s get this show on the road!”

And it was a literal show on the road. They must have made quite a spectacle as they headed down Main Street towards the main hub where the jeep was apparently parked. Gray no longer clung to Owen, but he remained his usual bubbly self. For his own part Zach let his brother take all the attention, instead walking quietly and slightly behind Owen, who had noticed this but decided not to mention anything. The man knew Zach was sensitive to certain things, and he didn’t want to make the teenager uncomfortable again.

If Gray was excited before, when he saw the side of the jeep said ‘official use only’ it multiplied a thousand fold. Zach jumped into the front passenger seat by reflex, and allowed Gray to climb over him and sit precariously in the middle. He made sure to keep his little brother mostly on his seat, and buckled them both in. At some point his arm made it around the small boys shoulders as an extra precaution. Owen didn’t say anything about the illegal seating and decidedly looked everywhere else as he pulled out of the parking lot.

It took less than two minutes outside the park for Gray to start asking questions.’

“This part of the park is restricted, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, for the public. But Masrani isn’t gonna fire me over a few kids I think.”

“So your raptors, are they… tame?”

Owen thought carefully about the question, and answered it honestly, “No. They’re not tame, but they…” he paused, “they can be reasoned with. They’re not stupid animals.” He looked over at the boys, the younger who was looking up at him with wide, bright eyes, and the other who watched the scenery. It wasn’t like they could do much with the information if he told them. “I can be in the paddock with them most of the time without anything going on, but if anyone other than me were to go in, they’d probably kill them.” Instead of being disgusted, Gray furrowed his brow in thought, “So why are you safe? Don’t you taste good to them?” 

The man chuckled, speaking a little lower than he typically did, “I imagine I taste very good.” 

Zach felt himself flush, and he licked his lips subconsciously as he read further into the statement than his sibling. He bet Owen tasted good, too.

“But no, Gray, they wouldn’t hurt me purposely. I’m their Alpha.”

The jeep hit a bump in the road and Gray bounced off the seat, landing hard on Zach’s thigh and making the teenager release a yelp. Gray apologised profusely, Zach redder than ever as he tried to recover from the very embarrassing noise. Owen promised to slow down at the next one, since he was so used to driving alone and not being too worried about bruises. 

It took nearly twenty minutes, but they arrived at the enclosure in good time. They parked some ways away beneath the shade of the tropical trees, allowing the vehicles to stay more or less cool in the morning sun. Zach’s stride stuttered a bit as he tripped over roots, his shoes not meant for the wilderness, while Gray tramped all over them in his hiking boots. The youngest Mitchell had no problem slogging through the underbrush, and often did so in the woods behind their house on the weekends and after school. Their mother made him wear a bright fluorescent hat and keep a walkie-talkie with him just in case. He was slightly envious of his brothers’ boots, but sighed and followed Gray, who followed Owen.

“Okay guys, so this is my home away from home,” Owen spread his arms and grinned, “this is the raptor enclosure.”

It was a massive building, the walls of concrete easily taller than their house. Metal scaffolding was being raised and taken down in some places, construction still going on even as they stood there. To Zach it looked like they were trying to build the walls higher, and angled slightly in. On the opposite side there were thick bars being placed on the edges, trying to keep the creatures inside from getting out. He watched the various workers rush around, some wearing hard hats and some in khakis carrying clipboards. There was one man who looked like he was especially excited, and he was heading towards them quickly.

“Owen!”

“Hey Barry,” the raptor trainer greeted his friend with a partial hug, and the taller of the two could barely contain his smile. “You’ll never believe what happened,” he began, practically vibrating as Gray had been not long ago, “They took food from me this morning, all of them.”

“That’s great! Who took first? Was it Delta?” 

“Yes. She took first and the others followed. Blue didn’t seem to happy, but she tolerated it I think.” The dark skinned man then turned his gaze to the boys, raising an eyebrow, “And who are they?”

Owen turned and gestured first at Zach, “This is Zach,” and then at the younger, “and Gray Mitchell. They’re gonna shadow me for a bit today. I wanna show them our routine.” Barry seemed suspicious but nodded once, “Alright, but it’s on you if Hoskins shows up. You know how he is with secrets.” 

After ensuring Owen promised to try and stay out of trouble, Barry headed off with a skip in his step. The girls only ever ate when Owen presented the food, or if they were fed by the hook that hung from the top of the cage. Everyone else was usually too timid, and the raptors often confused them for the food. It took confidence to keep them reasonable. They were creatures very aware of their own intelligence, and if anyone was viewed as below them they were viewed as a snack or a threat. Blue kept her sisters at bay when required, but Delta was the most level headed. That might be the reason she and Barry got on so well, now that Owen thought about it. He was also very good at diffusing situations, and had to do so on several occasions when Hoskins got a little too pushy and Owen snapped.

Now, as he lead the boys up the stairs of the enclosure, he felt his heart surge with pride as the cries of his girls filled the air. They had caught his scent on the warm breeze, and they sounded pleased at the prospect. He only hoped things went smoothly today.

Zach followed his brother up the metal stairs, forced to go slower than he usually would because of Gray’s smaller legs. He looked around them curiously, doing his best to ignore the looks people were giving them. Not hostile, but cautious, as though they were uncertain if the boys would be trouble. He looked over Gray’s shoulder at Owen, watching the man’s long legs take the stairs two at a time. If he stared a little too long at his ass, he hoped no one noticed.

At least they’d get to see the famed raptors. His heart thudded in his chest at the idea. The raptors were important to Owen, and he was determined to love them.

He hoped they would like him, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here you are, another chapter, this one much longer. When I come back at the end of the story to do edits and fixing up I will probably just combine the two. What did you think? Good? Bad? I honestly don't write a lot of smut. And even make outs I find hard to deal with. I love writing them but I find I get too... wordy. Or something. So feedback on that would be lovely.
> 
> Until next time! Please let me know what you think! I am so grateful for all the comments, and for your patience!


	10. Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A run in with Hoskins and an encounter in the office. The boys finally get to meet the girls.

Blue looked up through the trees, bent flush to the ground. A smattering of light that managed to get through the canopy above her speckled her hide, and her eyes glowed in the shade. Her Alpha was here, somewhere above them. He stayed up there during the more important games they played, or when he was testing their obedience. She chittered to her sisters softly, throat thrumming low. 

There were two males with him, both of their scents somewhat familiar. Second hand scents were never the same as the real thing, and though she knew they were safe, she hesitated. Their Alpha had once introduced another male to them, a greedy man who tried to take them away when Owen refused him something. Blue didn’t understand what had happened, but one moment they were safe within their Alpha’s den and the next there were others, capturing her and her sisters in nets and barred cages. She remembered he had tried to fight it, but he had none the less invited the man in to begin with.

The memory was burned into her mind, of the time she had to be Alpha. It wasn’t… unpleasant. Blue had managed just fine, ensuring her sisters had someone to look to in the time of trouble. They had mourned together, and apart, separated into their own quarantined cages. The walls were thin, and they spoke to each other in the dead of night, and cried in the day while strange men ran tests and diagnostics. 

And then Owen had returned. And Blue could still remember how fiercely he had cradled her against his chest. She pounced out of the cage, her claws digging into his flesh and her snout pressed hard against his neck, clinging as though he might disappear forever. She had been smaller then, no taller than his leg. He hadn’t stopped to clean his wounds, and instead carried her out of the lab in his arms, muscles straining with her weight. Blue could still hear his snarls, as she purred into his neck, the horror over.

And this feeling persisted even now, when there was a newcomer. 

The raptor wasn’t stupid; she knew they were caged here still. She knew they were there to do tricks for the other men and women who came to see them. But her Alpha was there, and he took care of them. She wanted him close by always, to ensure his protection as he ensured theirs. With rapt attention she peered upwards at the scaffolding, inhaling sharply at a new scent carried towards her on the breeze. This was a scent she knew, and it churned her stomach. There was no time for being wary now, and she flew out of the bushes into the light with a cry. To warn her Alpha and her sisters. Blue stood at her full height, calling towards him and flexing her talons. 

He’s coming Alpha.

-

Zach gasped and nearly fell backwards at the sudden movement from the trees. They had been watching the foliage for some time and though Owen had assured them the girls were in there, he almost didn’t believe him. The creature that had bounded out of the trees was all muscle and grace, thick tendons covered in storm scales. A stark blue stripe ran from her eyes to the tip of her tail, ringed in white and shifting across her throat with each sound that escaped her. 

He caught her golden eyes, and she shook her head, seeming to call with more urgency than before. Zach turned to look at Owen, who appeared to be in a slight panic.

“Is she okay?” Gray gripped the bars tightly, looking up at the raptor trainer with wide, concerned eyes. 

“Hoskins,” Owen murmured, moving to push the boys back towards the small office attached to the upper part of the enclosure. “My boss. He’s… well he can be a pain. I hoped he wouldn’t be here today.” He hesitated but began urging them towards the building on the opposite corner of the path, “He’s an ass, really.”

Below, Blue had disappeared, but the sounds of the others could be heard clearly.

Owen heard Barry before he heard Hoskins, sharply urging the man to go back, that the raptors were having an off day. The raptor trainer felt the urge to take the kids and jump into the enclosure below, if only to escape the man for a while. But there was no telling how the girls would react to them, especially Gray. They knew he had a soft spot for Zach, but Gray wasn’t someone they had… discussed. It was with urgency that he hustled them into the office, closing the door without saying anything else. He turned and strode towards Hoskins, who approached him from the opposite side of the enclosure’s bridge, Barry in tow. 

“Hey Hoskins,” he greeted, attempting for nonchalant. Perhaps he hadn’t seen him usher the boys into the office.

“Owen, where’s your report?” He put a hand on his hip, stopping and leaning to one side with over exaggerated relaxation. He was antsy around the raptors, whether he admitted it or not, and being on a metal sheet above their enclosure always made him nervous. 

Owen smiled at the thought despite himself.

“Oh, I was just working on it actually,” he lied smoothly, glancing back at the office. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn’t see the boys through the small steamed windows, and he was grateful they weren’t trying to snoop. Maybe bringing them here was a bad idea… “I’ll have it to you by the end of the night, alright?”

“No. Not alright. It’s a week overdue. We need to get this show on the road. What do you think this is?” Hoskins scoffed, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head, clearly irritated, “Owen I hired you because I thought you were the man for the job. You gonna prove me wrong?”

Owen felt himself bristle, and then regained his composure. “Fine, I’ll go get it for you. It’s not done, but you can have what I got, okay?”

“Fine.”

With a last glare, Owen spun on his heel and strode towards the office, opening it and slipping inside smoothly. Gray sat in the corner, coats partially hiding him from view, reading a book from Owen’s desk. Didn’t take the kid long now, did it? Zach stood on the opposite side of the room, peering cautiously through the filthy windows. He startled when Owen walked in, and looked at him from beneath his bangs. 

“Owen?” he murmured, looking back through the window, “is that Hoskins?”

The man gave a curt nod, before heading towards his messy desk. Papers and books littered the top and the floor, and it took Owen a lot longer to find a pen in the mess than it should have. Gray remained quiet, but Zach watched him. Owen found the report and signed the bottom quickly, folding it in half as he turned back towards the door. 

“Sorry about this guys, we’ll get back to the girls in a bit, alright?”

“It’s okay Owen! I found a cool chapter in this book and I-“

“Gray! Sh!” Zach scolded, giving his brother ‘the look’. 

Owen couldn’t help the small smile tugging up his lips as he whispered before he left, “I’m not sure how long he’s going to hang around. But stay in here and stay quiet. If you need something to do…” he trailed off, looking around the room, “Organize.”

-

Gray cocked his head as Owen left, but returned to reading the book on velociraptors studies. It wasn’t really a book, more of a journal of a previous trainer who had since retired; it seemed he studied their intelligence. 

For Zach’s part, the teenager was managing to maintain his calm relatively well. He sent a text to Zara telling them they were having a good time, and sighed before leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor. The shack was oddly… homely. If more offices were like it, he thought perhaps he wouldn’t mind a job where he stayed in one. It was also… Owen’s. It was something about the chaos. There were books and files everywhere, on the floor, resting on shelves, and the chairs in the corners. The windows were filthy, and the one that was open in the back allowed for humid air to enter. It was warm, but not quite stifling, and the wooden floors were a change from the hard metal of the enclosure scaffolding. It smelled like Owen too, Zach decided, like oil and dirt and wild. A scent that was uniquely Owen, and he didn’t fight the urge to grab a discarded t-shirt from the floor and smell it. Yes, this was Owen.

He looked up in time to see Gray’s eyes fall back to the pages of his book, small smile gracing his lips. Unwilling to address it, Zach stood and brushed the dust off his jeans, looking around the room with hands on his hips. Owen had said if they wanted to they could organize. It was more a question of where to start. He decided it would be best to start with the floor, and get everything, well, off of it first. He’d be at this a while.

-

Zach didn’t know how long it took to organize the room, but it must have been a while. It was hot, but Gray wouldn’t let him open a window just in case someone could see them from outside. The eldest Mitchell wiped sweat from his forehead, wrinkling his nose when his hand came away glistening. “I’m going to need ten showers after this,” he muttered, none the less carrying a large stack of books over to where Gray was. The boy had taken it upon himself to organize the books and notes alphabetically, reading bits and pieces as he did. 

“Do you think there was a velociraptor before Blue?”

“Not sure, why?” Zach asked, plopping down beside his brother with a groan. 

Gray humed seriously, putting a finger on the dusty page in front of him, “Alphabetical. That’s why they’re named like that. Like the alphabet. Blue. Charlie. Delta. Echo. There has to be another one, right?” He looked at Zach with big eyes, as though he might have the answer. Zach wished he did. “I’m not sure Gray,” he responded slowly, “but I think Owen would know.”

“You’re right. He knows everything.”

“Yeah, maybe even too much.”

“What d’you mean? Is he in trouble? That’s what that show said. When people know too much they get into trouble.”

Zach smiled, rubbing his face with both hands and rubbing his nose to remove some of the dust he had breathed in, “I don’t think it’s that extreme. But he is pretty smart. For a raptor trainer.”

“He’s the only raptor trainer you know!”

The indignant tone of Gray’s accusation made Zach chuckle, and he mussed up his little brothers hair affectionately. He was about to inquire what he was reading when the door opened, and the brothers went quiet. Sitting on the floor they were in plain view anyway, but when Owen strode into the office they let out their breath. 

“Hey guys, sorry about that. It was like, almost an hour.” 

He walked in and kept the door open, and Zach was grateful for the cool breeze that began to make it’s way through the room. Owen’s lip quirked up in one corner, and hands on his hips he turned to look at the boys on the floor. “I see you made good use of your time. Learn anything?”

Gray practically jumped up at the question, clambering to his feet with the journal in his hands, “Yeah, I learned a lot! Did you know that velociraptors might even be smarter than humans?” Owen raised an eyebrow, and smirked down at Zach who had almost been tipped over in Gray’s excitement. The man offered a hand, which Zach took reluctantly. He definitely didn’t notice how seasoned the calloused hand was, or how it seemed to linger on his longer than necessary after he was standing. 

He definitely didn’t blush. 

“I did know that, you’ll see when you meet them.” Owen jutted his chin towards the door, smiling when Gray bounded out into the sun. Zach hesitated a little, and then against his better judgement asked, “They won’t hurt him will they? He gets excited about this stuff. I don’t…” he swallowed, looking away from Owen’s eyes, “I don’t want him to lose interest in something he loves because he got scared.” Still looking down, he felt himself tremble a little as heavy steps made their way towards him. But it was okay, this was Owen. It wasn’t someone who was going to hurt him. He could trust him. He could. He cou-

“Zach.”

He felt a warm hand on his face, gently urging his chin upwards. Zach did not flinch away from the touch, and allowed his head to raise and look at the man in front of him. Owen’s eyes were heavy, but sincere, his mouth turned upwards in a kind smile. Zach watched the man look first into his own eyes, and then glance downwards at his slightly parted lips. He licked them unconsciously, and Zach thought he heard a sharp intake of breath from the raptor trainer.

When their eyes met again there was something else there too, besides the budding trust. A heat that caused Zach’s face to flush and an ache to form in his belly. How was Owen feeling right now? The same way? God, if he would just keep looking at him like that…

“Zach,” Owen repeated, and this time the boy got to see his name on the mans lips. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think you were safe. If I’m here nothing will ever hurt you, do you understand? Not you, not Gray.” 

It was so honest and raw and Zach felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes but he just couldn’t let them fall. Not in front of Owen. Instead, he swallowed thickly and nodded, glassy eyes closing as he allowed himself to press against the warm hand beneath his chin. 

“You guys coming?!” 

Zach jumped back with a gasp, but gave a soft smile to Owen as he left the office building, “Coming Gray!” Owen took a moment to stare at where the boy had been standing, before wiping the sweat on his palms off on his pants, heading out towards the paddock. Show time.

-

Blue watched from the bushes as Alpha and the other two humans went down the stairs. She could hear their steps even when they went out of view, and she took a slow pace towards the ground entrance. The sun was warm on her scales and she released a small hum in pleasure as she found a place only partially shaded but still close enough to the trees in the center. Taking her place, Blue kept still and watched for her guests. Somewhere her sisters watched from the shadows, ever curious about Alpha and his friends. 

-

Owen opened the first enclosure with a passcode he hardly remembered and knew mostly by repetitive use. He could feel Gray vibrating beside him, while Zach hung back. Since their… encounter, in the office Owen had noticed a not-so-subtle change already. There was trust there now, much stronger than before. But even so Owen knew trust was easy to break, and once broken never easily restored. It was like porcelain, and he had no intentions of letting it shatter.

He headed into the entrance way first, making sure he was the first thing his girls saw and smelled. Old habits died hard, and he remembered in the beginning when their bond had only just begun; letting them know he was there first was a sure-fire way to ensure their relaxation. Raptors were often high strung without their Alpha around, and would often become aggressive when he wasn’t around. 

“Okay guys, don’t put your hands through the bars, stay close to me, and don’t make any sudden moves. Be gentle with them.” 

“Be gentle with them? Shouldn’t you be telling them that?” Gray giggled, but signified his understanding by a short salute. Owen grinned and looked to Zach, who was trying not to look excited. But the raptor trainer knew. He whistled, still looking at the teenager, before grinning at the cries coming from the enclosure. Of course his girls were already waiting. He was, after all, their Alpha.

Gray saw a raptor first, her scaled glowing near orange in the sunlight as she approached. There were faint blue stripes decorating her hide, bright eyes staring right at them. Gray yanked on Owen’s sleeve excitedly, staring in awe as she continued her pace forward. “Who is that?” he whispered, fighting the urge to dig in his bag for his camera. “This is Echo, she’s a troublemaker. Aren’t you?” He called the last part to the girl in question, and she called out in acknowledgement. She knew they were talking about her. “She isn’t afraid of anything, got into nasty fight with Blue a while back.” Now she was close, and Zach could easily her every breath the creature took. Owen reached out between the bars, the hypocrite, and scratched the scaled between her nostrils. A long white scar trailed across her snout, fully healed but clearly a bad wound. Zach put a hand on Gray’s shoulder to keep him close just in case.

And then remembered Owen was there. Nothing would hurt them with Owen around.

“You wanna touch her Gray?”

“Yes please!” Gray whispered harshly, straining to keep his voice from a shout. Owen reached down and took Gray’s hand in his, never stopping the scratching with his other hand. Slowly he raised Grays hand up and towards Echo. The raptors breathing changed pace, but she didn’t snarl or move as Gray’s soft fingers touched her snout. Owen removed his hand, but continued holding Grays so their scents were mingled. Echo began making a strange sound, and Zach made to yank Grays hand away until Owen stopped him with a grin, “She’s purring.”

Zach had no idea reptiles could purr. But he supposed that these raptors weren’t exactly the pure thing, either. He took a moment to look at her, and took a few steps towards the bars to get a better look. She was beautiful, and he found himself smiling in admiration the longer he looked. Gray was ecstatic, and Owen was all too patient in showing the kid where Echo liked to be scratched and petted the most. This included her chin, the end of her snout, and just below the ridge of her jaw. The raptor in question had her eyes half closed, pressed against the bars to get as close to the skilled hands as she could. 

“So eager,” Owen said fondly, and the raptor chittered in return, opening her eyes wider for only a moment. And then she was standing, turned in a half circle and at complete alert. Gray pulled his hand back instinctively, and Owen put an arm around Gray to shield him from whatever was coming. But, to his immense relief, it was only Blue. Since their fight Echo had become entirely submissive to the Beta, and often gave her the full sign of respect by giving her full attention. Gray went from scared to amazement in the span of two seconds, and it took Zach that long to realize what it was they were staring at. 

“What?” he muttered, hunching his shoulders slightly and turning towards Echo. He followed her gaze to a creature which stood no more than a foot from him, and easily several feet taller. Her scaled were dark, and a blue stripe climbed her neck to the top of her head. 

“It’s only Blue. Just…” Owen hesitated, trying to find the right word, “relax. Move slow.” He kept Gray at bay, as Blue tended to be a bit more guarded than Echo. Zach breathed out in a rush of air, but carefully turned to face the raptor fully. She hadn’t moved, and continued to watch him with her bright golden eyes. There was intelligence there, and Zach now understood what Gray had been saying about velociraptors being smarter than humans. “Hey, Blue,” he whispered softly, hoping the use of her name would help the situation. She opened her jaws menacingly, growling and narrowing her eyes at the slight raising of his hand. He took it back, fear beginning to pool in his stomach. The bars were so thin…

And then he remembered again, not for the first time in the last hour, what Owen had said. He was safe. Nothing was going to hurt him while Owen was around. Blue wouldn’t hurt him, and Owen trusted her. So Zach would have to.

Taking a deep breath, Zach tried again, this time with more confidence. Blue didn’t move, and her jaws closed with each inch the boy got closer. It seemed an eternity, but Zach left his hand just short of touching her scales, hand steady as he looked at her. “Hi, Blue.” She closed the gap herself after a pause, pushing her snout against his hand. She went so far as to push against him, forcing his hand back into the cage. He found himself chuckling and pushing back, making her purr as he scratched hard against the small scales. “You’re not so bad, huh?” he continued, smiling full on and allowing her to snuffle against his palm and sleeve. 

Owen watched the exchange in pleasure. His girl and his… well, his girl and Zach. He let Gray go, who again approached Echo and began to coax her towards him. Now that these two knew their scents, it was unlikely Delta and Charlie would be a problem. He knew they were around, probably watching. At the thought as though they had been summoned, Charlie emerged with Delta in tow, heading towards where Blue stood. Owen felt his heart swell with pride, his girls were so well behaved. Not to mention how well everyone seemed to be getting along. Blue had been… well, pushy for Owen to take a mate even before the boys had come along. But has he watched Zach interact with them he had the urge to take him into his arms and hold him. He was so proud, so proud of Zach. They’d met only a few days ago, and already the boy trusted him. He was hurting, and scared, but every time Owen saw Zach come out of his shell, he loved what he saw. He wanted more of it. He wanted to know Zach better than anyone else. 

It seemed Blue and his girls weren’t opposed to the idea, and he chuckled as Delta blew a gust of breath into Zach’s hair and ruffled it up. Gray jumped over to where Zach was and Echo followed, until the boys had one hand on each raptor, giggling and talking in hushed whispers to them. Owen stood back and watched it happen. There was no sense in ruining their moment.

Blue stood to her full height and looked him briefly, almost a smirk before bowing back down to receive more scratches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience guys. I'm really eager to get the ball rolling on Zach and Owen's relationship, but I don't want it to be too sudden. Keep in mind that this fic goes beyond the barriers of the movie; meaning that after everyone leaves the island, the story goes on. Do you think I should end it, and then do a sequel? Or just stick to the one story? Also any comments or concerns? Things I did well or poorly on?


	11. It's Not Up to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray and Zach head for the gyrospheres while Claire deals with Owen at his bungalow.

Claire sighed, hanging up the phone with Zara. Her assistant promised the boys were safe, and had decided to try out the gyrospheres. It had been the first project Claire had volunteered to test before the park opened, and she would never forget the way it made her feel. Weightless, like she was floating a foot off the ground and speeding across the land of her own power, like she wasn’t in a giant ball. It was a good feeling.

A good feeling she was missing at the moment. Masrani had called her shortly before Zara, firmly ‘requesting’ that the paddock inspection for the Indominus be moved up. Unsurprising seeing as the new exhibit was already months behind schedule. The Indominus had been trouble from the beginning, but this late in the game it wasn’t as though they could just toss all the research out the window. The animal was going to be a great asset for the park, and she couldn’t wait to see the numbers spike after her reveal. 

Pouring herself another cup of coffee from the thermos at her desk, she put two sugars and one cream in it before standing from her chair and walking towards the window of her office. It was above the labs in the Hammond Research Labs, and overlooked Main Street on one side and the forest on the other. Today she chose the street view, and stared past her reflection to the many families below. The fountain needed to be cleaned of coins she noticed, watching a child make a wish on a penny. She gleefully cheered when it plunked into the water, and jumped back to her parents. They held mounds of bags and wore the dinosaur hats which were complimentary at various rides, and they headed back towards the hotel further down the strip. 

Vaguely she could remember a time when her own parents had taken her to an amusement park. The tickets were meant for Karen and her friend from school, but her sister had ended up taking her instead. Claire couldn’t remember how old they were, probably in their teens by then. What she did remember was being sore from laughter by the end of the day, and a warmth between them she hoped would never dissipate. With each passing year, that closeness had faded. Claire immersed herself in her studies and Karen took on household duties as their mother became more and more ill. The cancer was spreading, and it was becoming obvious very quickly there wouldn’t be coming back from it. As young as she was, Claire didn’t blame Karen for lying to her when she asked about their mother’s health. 

It’s okay to lie when people are scared.

A roar from outside in the park jolted her from her memories. She checked her desk clock. Rexy’s feeding time, right on schedule. The builders had ensured the room was soundproof, but there was only so much one could do to keep the Queen’s roar from being heard.

She sighed, and took a rather large gulp of the hot coffee before turning back to her desk. Papers neatly stacked into three piles: one that could wait, one that needed to be overlooked, and one that simply needed a signature. Rolling her wrist at the mere thought of it, she sat at the desk to finish the paperwork before heading out to see Owen Grady. He wouldn’t be too happy about the move up in schedule, she imagined. But then they all had to do things they weren’t happy about.

\--

“Owen that was stupid.” 

The raptor trainer glared at his friend, thick arms crossed against his chest. The hot sun beat down on them, and the humidity made sweat drip down the back of his neck. Barry continued his glare until Owen looked up to see it from his desk. Rarely could any of the trainers be found in the office at the raptor compound, but someone had cleaned the place. Now that everything was in order, doing the paperwork would be easier, even if it still made them cranky.

“Nobody got hurt. And the boys enjoyed it! Nobody gets to see the girls. I think it was good for them.” He responded resolutely, looking back down at the form he had to fill out. Since the kid had fallen and Hoskins was there to see it a proper report was needed. Something about a different method of catching the pigs, or higher guard rails. 

“Okay sure, but Owen? People walk around bombs without them going off sometimes, too.”

Owen looked up at Barry, trying to evaluate how angry the man actually was. There were certain levels of anger he could get by, and he knew that. But depending on what level this was… he gaged it at a high six. Too high. He sighed, rubbing his face and looking through his fingers briefly at his friend. 

“Nobody was here to see, if it’s the secret that you’re worried about.”

Barry barked a laugh, shaking his head, “There are always people here to see. We are just lucky they can keep secrets.”

“Right, so what’s the problem?”

“Can the boys keep secrets?”

Owen looked around his office, thinking briefly of how many secrets the Mitchell brothers kept. He looked up at Barry, and whispered sincerely, “They can.”

\--

Zach had read about gyrospheres in the pamphlet Gray had given him. The whole science part of it was fascinating, but he wasn’t sure he necessarily wanted to sit inside one. Jimmy Falon wasn’t the most convincing in his video, either.

He closed the Jurassic World app, which he had found while perusing the store on a whim. It was essentially the entire pamphlet and then some, all on the phone. It made him wonder about getting Gray a phone of his own soon, so that the kid didn’t have to break his back carrying all his books around. Next he closed all the apps he wasn’t using, and then opened the messages.

7 from a girl at home.  
1 from a man in Jurassic World.

Zach felt his heart flutter as he tapped the message open, closing his eyes briefly before opening them to see the text. It shouldn’t have made his heart beat as fast as it did.

‘It’s Owen. The Girls miss you. So do I.’

Feeling a flush descend from his ears to his cheeks to the column of his neck, he licked his lips and tried to think of a reply. Typically his texts were short and to the point; it wasn’t like he had much to say to the few friends he had. Or family, for that matter. In the end he settled for something much less neutral and leaning to the side of affectionate. He wished he had better social skills.

‘Miss you too.’

Not miss them, even though he did. Not Gray misses you too. Nope, just Zach. Just how it was meant to be.

“Zach!” Gray reached up and tugged on his arm. “It’s our turn. Can I get the blue one?” The teenager had entirely forgotten they were in line at the Slurpee stand, and blinked a few times before nodding and looking over at the employee across the counter. “Hey,” he did his best to ignore the putout look the girl was giving him, “can I grab two blue raspberry please? Larges.” The girl blew a bright pink bubble and popped it, smacking it between her lips before nodding and turning to fulfill the order.

Within ten minutes, the two brothers were happily drinking their melting drinks and walking leisurely towards the tram. Zach was thankful for their wristbands, blue and thick around their wrists. Even if Claire couldn’t clear her schedule to be with them, it was a nice perk. He wasn’t sure if he could really forgive her for disappearing from their lives with the rise of her fame in Jurassic World. Even he couldn’t argue that Claire knew numbers. She knew how to build a kingdom.

Only Zach also remembered that she used to know how to snowboard. And that she taught him. And had promised when she left after their last ski trip together that when Gray was big enough she would come back and teach him, too. 

“Hey Zach?”

The eldest brother caught the toe of his shoe on an un-level piece of sidewalk and stumbled, catching himself on Gray’s shoulder. He took a breath to steady himself and kept walking as he answered.

“Yeah?”

When there wasn’t a response, he turned to look at the youngest. Gray appeared agitated by something, the typical bounce in his step replaced by something much more sombre. There was a beat, and then he sighed, looking up at Zach with a small smile.

“It’s nothing.”

Zach hummed in return, but held his brothers gaze until the younger looked away. Something was wrong in Grays world and Zach would do anything to fix it. Including getting inside a hamster ball. They would get to the tram in a few minutes, and then go on the ride and everything would be forgotten, so he hoped. Nervously, he discreetly pulled out his phone and unlocked it, dimming the brightness so no one else could read the screen. He texted Owen.

‘Wish you were here.’

\--

Owen had no sooner got back to his bungalow, cracked open a coke, and sat down to work on his bike when a white vehicle appeared over the hill across the way. He could see it in the distance, and sighed, pulling away from his bike to reach for another tool. Wrench in hand, he leaned back over the engine of his bike, trying his best to ignore the crunching of gravel beneath expensive wheels. 

To no avail, as fate would have it.

He looked up as Claire got out of the car, closing the door with a satisfied ‘thud’. “What do they want now?” he murmured, more annoyed than curious. Masrani needed to relax when it came to progress; some things could wait. Claire apparently could not. He wiped his hands on the cleanest cloth he could find while he watched her check her appearance in the window. He didn’t know what she was concerned about. She was easily one of the most beautiful women he knew. He looked back to his bike in feign disinterest when he saw her turn towards him.

“Mr. Grady,” she began, coming to a stop in front of him. He glanced her way with a raised eyebrow at the greeting. They were long past the whole last name thing. This must be important.

“I need you to come and take a look at something.”

She was uncomfortable. Claire looking out towards the water and at the trees around them, before seeming to accept the fact they were going to have a conversation. She looked at him, clasping her hands in front of her expectantly.

“Why are you callin’ me ‘Mr. Grady?’” 

“Owen,” she corrected herself, flushing slightly under his stare. Some things never changed. Claire continued, “If you’re not too busy.” 

Clearly he was very busy. Owen smirked a little, before taking a swig of his coke, “Oh, I’m pretty busy.” 

“We have an attraction,” she tried again, leaning back on one leg. Annoyed, no doubt, that she was being forced to maintain conversation with him outside. It had never been her element, he recalled. On their first date most of the activities she was interested in were indoors. The humidity killed her hair, which she loved straight even though he promised the natural wave was adorable. Not that anything would have worked between them anyway… he supposed. He tried for playful.

“That’s not what you said last time I saw you.”

“I’m talking about the dinosaurs, Mr. Grady.” Irritated.

“Owen.” Equally as irritated. 

A black fly began harassing her, no doubt because of the lovely perfume that broke through the oil smell around his bike. He stood and sauntered over, catching the insect in his hand and crushing it in one fell move. Her lips quirked up, impressed he knew, before going back to their usual disdainful frown. 

“A new species we made.”

Owen shook his head, grabbing the cloth from his back pocket and wiping fly guts off his palm. “You went and made a new dinosaur?” 

“Yeah it’s kinda what we do here,” Claire glared, clearly exhausted and in mood for games. Owen wasn’t finished yet, unfortunately. She continued before he could interrupt her as he came to stand in front of her. “The exhibit opens in three weeks. Mr. Masrani wanted me to,” a pause “consult with you.”

Owen grinned, deepening his voice as he smirked, “D’you wanna consult here, or, in my bungalow?”

Claire shook her head, but the smile eased her features somewhat. “That’s not funny.”

Owen chuckled, hopping up the stairs two at a time. “It’s kinda funny.” Heading around back to collect his things. When he didn’t hear her footsteps follow, he checked his phone.

Zach had replied to him, and he felt the irritation of this meeting ease somewhat. 

‘Miss you too.’

‘Wish you were here.’

Smiling at the message, he sent quick reply, before stuffing it in his pocket and heading around front once more. Claire was still there of course, stunning as ever in the white getup. Maybe at one point he wondered what she might look like without it, but now… well he would punch anyone who joked about it. 

“Why me?”

“Well, I guess because Mr. Masrani thinks you can control the raptors-“

“See, it’s all about control with you. I don’t control the raptors. It’s a relationship. It’s built on mutual respect. That’s why you and I never had a second date.”

As much as he knew it would rile her up even further, she evidently needed a distraction from work. Even if he thought of himself as her best friend and dare he think it, brother, that didn’t mean it wasn’t his job to make her life Hell once in a while. And lately the park hadn’t exactly been good about keeping Hoskins off his back.

“Excuse me!” She turned to watch him as he headed down the stairs back to his bike. One more time with the ratchet and it would be good to go for a test ride. Perhaps if Zach had some spare time he’d offer him a ride. On the bike of course. Trying to calm his suddenly rapid heartbeat, he answered Claire.

“Who prints out an itinerary for a night out?” Nobody, honestly, but everyone has their quirks.

“I’m an organized person.”

“What kind of diet doesn’t allow tequila?”

“All of them actually. And what kind of man shows up to a date in board shorts?”

“It’s Central America, it’s hot!”

“Okay, okay,” she sighed, looking up at the sky like it would somehow help her make Owen serious about these things, “can we please get back to the asset here?”

“The asset?” It had always been the one thing that annoyed him about Claire. Really, they were living, breathing creatures. The light in their eyes was undeniable; they were intelligent. These weren’t items or pieces on a chess board.

“Look,” he began with a sigh, standing and wiping his hands for the last time that day, “I get it. You’re in charge out here and you have to make a lot of tough decisions. It’s probably easier to think of these animals as numbers on a spread sheet but they’re not. They’re alive.”

Her nose twitched, and she cocked her head to the side for a moment, “I’m fully aware they’re alive.”

“You might have made them in a test tube, but they don’t know that. These animals are thinking, ‘I gotta eat. I gotta hunt. I gotta,’” he made a crude hand gesture, grinning at the end from implications. It made her smile too, which was a plus. Owen finished his thought, looking at her and asking forgiveness for being so difficult. “You can relate to at least one of those things, right?” 

Claire, still smiling, rolled her eyes and stepped up to him. “Thank you for coming a day earlier than scheduled, Owen. You better change your shirt,” she eyed him from shoes to his hair, “they are very sensitive to smell.”

He watched her go, trying hard not to laugh. Of course she would forgive him. They hadn’t gone on any other dates, but they went for coffee on the rare occasion that she had a free moment in the week. Owen lifted his arm and took a sniff, wrinkling his nose and turning to go inside. A shower would do him well, and he couldn’t argue that. He didn’t wait for her to drive away before he headed inside, taking his phone out of his pocket as he closed the door. Typically he wasn’t so attached to the thing, but… he wanted to see if Zach had said anything back. 

\--

The two brothers boarded the tram and found a seat quickly. It didn’t take long for the metal tube to fill up with people, two girls sitting in front of them. A few seconds after beginning the trip, the blonde in front of him turned towards him. A pamphlet in her hand, she cleared her throat until she got his attention.

“Um, hey,” she began shyly, “Do you know what the best way to get to the pteranadon house is? From the gyrospheres, that is.”

Zach looked at Gray, knowing he would undoubtedly know the answer better than he. The youngest Mitchell was looking out the window however, and appeared deep in thought. Rather than disturb him, Zach reluctantly pulled out his phone. It wasn’t a relief to see that there weren’t any new texts from Owen. He opened the Jurassic World app and showed her the hi-res map.

“I think if you go down this road, and go around by the northbound tram, you can get to it pretty fast. I guess you could do the kayak thing with the herbivores too though,” he said thoughtfully, reading the information off the screen like a textbook. She nodded, and made a note on the map with a pen from the Information booth in the square. “Is this your first time here then?” He asked with a smile, trying for light conversation. A sniffle from his left stopped any light talk however. He tapped the back of the girls chair apologetically, and turned to Gray. 

The boy was crying, tears running down his face in increasing amounts. 

“Gray?”

“If mom and dad get a divorce will one of us go with mom and one of us with dad?”

“What?” It wasn’t the first time Gray had brought up the topic. But it wasn’t as though they could just talk about it in public. Panicking slightly, Zach looked away quickly to make sure nobody was listening. When he turned back, Grays shoulders were shaking. “They’re not getting a divorce,” he responded at last.

Gray nodded his head. 

“No, they’re not.” Zach tried to be firm, he really did. He felt his heart breaking.

“They get mail from two different lawyers.”

“So?”

“I Googled. They’re divorce lawyers.”

That was that then. Gray had found out. Zach wasn’t stupid. Whenever Scott took his anger out on him he wasn’t quiet about it. He made sure to blame him for everything. Even through the ringing in his ears he could hear what he said, as the foot came down on his belly or the belt across his back. Stomach churning, he slumped into his seat, staring at his hands.

“Well. Whatever. I’ll be gone in a few years anyway. And you’ll get two of everything. Two Christmas, two Thanksgivings,”

“But I don’t want two of everything.”

“Yeah. Well it’s not up to you. There comes a point where you gotta grow up.”

He was saying it to himself more than Gray. And he heard himself say it before he could stop it. The words on his tongue weren’t meant for his brother. But as soon as he said them he knew he couldn’t take them back. Feeling sick, he returned to his seat and left Gray to look out the window. He wanted to hold him. To pull Gray into his lap and pet his hair and tell him it would all be okay. He knew it would help. Because it was all he wanted for himself in that moment. To be told that it wasn’t his fault. The bruises would fade, and had, but the words scarred him. Zach felt responsible, and in that moment on the tram, the weight was crushing.

It took the entire tram ride for them to calm down in their own way. Gray had put his hand on top of Zach’s, and rested his head on his shoulder. The shaking had subsided, and Zach grabbed his hand to hold. Nothing had to be said. Zach felt light again, and Gray smiled at him gently. In no time afterwards, they were off the tram and heading through the humid jungle towards a hill. On a whim and with a deep breath to steady himself, Zach pulled out his phone to check for texts. What he saw in response to his earlier affections made him blush.

‘Wish you were here too. You’d like it. It’s pretty far from the park though.’

Zach stared at the message on his phone, Gray leading him through the crowd towards the top of the hill where the gyrosphere ride boarded. Zach knew he was beet red, and his fingers trembled as he typed up a response.

‘So we’d be alone then?’

His finger hovered over the button to send it for a moment, before someone bumped into him and his thumb brushed over it anyway. He gasped audibly and turned off the screen of his phone, mortified. Zach stuffed it in his pocket and tried his best not to think about what he had just implied.

“Zach look! A sphere just came back!”

They flashed their wristbands, Zach missing the small gaggle of girls watching him entirely. Gray was going on about how DNA from dinosaurs was preserved, and if he had a mind for biology he would have paid more attention. For the moment however, his mind kept wandering to Owen whether he wanted it to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait. BY THE WAY I am editing the events to suit my plot needs. The Indominus hasn't broken out yet. Owen hasn't seen the paddock yet. The boys aren't quite on the gyrospheres yet.
> 
> Also this is the text conversation thus far:
> 
> O: 'It's Owen. The Girls miss you. So do I.'  
> Z: 'Miss you too.'  
> Z: 'Wish you were here.'  
> O: 'Wish you were here too. You'd like it. It's pretty far from the park, though.'  
> Z: 'So we'd be alone then?'
> 
> Thanks so much for your patience. The story is NOT EVER forgotten and it will finish hopefully within the year. Now that I'm back in college I've had time away from home so I can write more in private and peace. Also! If you're interested in another Zowen story I'm working on, I've start an AU. I'm currently testing the waters for interest, so head over to that and let me know what you think. ALSO if you have any ideas for names for that story, I'm open to suggestions.


	12. Everything That's Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach and Gray go for a ride and Owen decided that genetically modified dinosaurs may be a little too clever.
> 
> Warning: Some carnage depicted. Death of minor characters.

Zach watched the video on the tiny screen between him and Gray. The glass sphere seemed almost futuristic in design, and even though he didn’t understand how it worked, he could appreciate the sort of engineering it required to make. For his part, Gray was sitting quietly, still sombre from their conversation on the train. Briefly he considered pulling his brother into an embrace, but decided against it. There was still a struggle for him, whether or not to allow their relationship to grow closer. And they were close. The pain that would come when Zach left would be too great as it was, and it was better if Gray hated him instead.

He pulled out his phone, brow wrinkling when he noticed he had no bars in the hamster ball. Pursing his lips Zach focused on steering the ride into a field ahead of them. Surely there would be something there to lift Gray’s spirit a little.

As long as it didn’t look like he was doing it on purpose, he could make Gray happy.

\---

Owen sat in the passenger side of the car, looking out the window at the landscape as they drove. He’d lived here for several years now, not really having much to go to outside of Jurassic World, but everything still amazed him. Not driving meant he had the time to take everything in properly rather than out of necessity, something he did infrequently and not enough, come to think of it. 

Claire drove down the harsh roads with speed and efficiency, not unlike how she did everything else. Her white clothes were stark against the black leather seats, and made her look just a bit more tanned than her fair skin allowed. Owen glanced at her from the side, hiding a frown when he noticed just how straight her hair was despite the humidity. How much product was in there? Another one of her control issues. He liked her hair better wavy, though he understood it wasn’t up to him anyway.

The drive was quiet and neither had to say much. Owen didn’t mention that Masrani had already come to him about the inspection the day before, and that he had waited for her before getting distracted by the Mitchell boys. 

“So, this new dinosaur.”

“What about it?”

Claire stepped gracefully out of the vehicle, her high heels sinking only just into the gravel. Owen hopped out and closed his door before matching her pace a couple feet behind her. The woman could walk in heels, to be sure. Apprehensive, he looked up at the high concrete walls, still being built. That should have been done a while ago, which meant they were adding on. A big girl then.

“So,” he began, pausing to look around a little.

Claire sighed, making a beeline for the metal stairs leading to the interior. “We’ve been pre-booking the tickets for months. The park needs a new attraction every few years to reinvigorate the publics interest.” She turned to smile briefly, “Kind of like the space program.” Owen nodded, following her up the stairs and trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. “Corporate thought that genetic modification would up the ‘wow factor’.” The raptor hunter scowled at the back of her perfectly straight hair, “They’re dinosaurs, wow enough.”

Claire didn’t spare him a glance.

“Not according to our focus groups. The Indominus Rex makes us relevant again.”

He chuckled, all stupid grins as he repeated the name to her, “The Indominus Rex.”

She turned around at the top of the stairs, all regal as she looked at him. She looked like a mother speaking to the less intelligent child. “We needed something scary, and easy to pronounce. You should here a five year old try to say ‘Archaeornithomimus’.”

“You should hear you try to say it.”

After a pause Owen followed her inside the building, relieved as the air conditioning began to cool the sweat on his brow. The building smelled near sanitary, odd for an enclosure that should be frequented by many handlers and feeders. Claire headed for a control panel near the windows, and as per requested, Owen headed to the windows to look around. Behind the glass didn’t give him a good idea of the foundations, but the top of the concrete fences appeared secure from a distance. The dense foliage would keep a big beast hidden, so he didn’t pay too much mind to the fact that the Indominus was nowhere to be found.

Still, the idea that they had made a dinosaur, like it was a good idea, was nothing short of terrifying. Sometimes science went too far. He put his hands on his hips, spotting a few femurs and bones on the dirt below the window. “So what’s this thing made of?” He started looking for the entrance where the feeders would come from, the place she would likely be most excited. 

“The base genome is a T-rex, the rest is classified.”

He scoffed, raising an eyebrow, “You made a new dinosaur but you don’t even know what it is?” He shook his head slightly, officially understanding that he was dealing with fools. He spotted a hook above the enclosure, and the sinking feeling he had earlier returned full force. He knew what she would say if he asked about it, but he didn’t have to.

“The lab delivers us finished assets and we show them to the public. Can we drop a steer please?” Claire was quickly growing annoyed her peer and friend. They have the best engineers in the world, and honestly, she trusted the paddock was safe because of it.

Beside Owen, Eric swallowed a bit of sandwich loudly before pressing a button and giving the okay with his fingerprint. A large hook began to lower, a huge hunk of red meat going with it. 

“How long has the animal been in here?”

“It’s whole life.”

“It’s never seen anything outside these walls?”

“We can’t exactly walk it.”

“And you feed it with that?” He gestured to the black metal hook, dripping crimson into the leaves some feet below. He eyed it warily, and looked back at Claire for a moment before returning focus to the steer. 

Claire resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but couldn’t help her irritation as she shook her head. “Is there a problem?”

Owen sighed, trying to choose his next words carefully. “Animals raised in isolation aren’t always the most functional.” After handling them for years, he’d seen the damage a mere dog could do, and he didn’t want to think about what sort of trouble a T-rex could do. 

Claire paused to consider that before replying, licking her lips, “Your raptors are raised in captivity.”

“With siblings,” he responded, turning to face her, slowly walking towards her and passed. “They learn social skills. And I imprint on them when they’re born. There’s trust.” He saw her roll her eyes at that, but bulled ahead. “The only positive relationship that animal has is with that crane. At least she knows that means food.”

Claire went the opposite direction, still looking into the dense foliage to try and get a glimpse of the monstrous creature. “So, she needs a friend? We should schedule play dates? That sort of thing?”

Owen stopped at the end of the observation windows, shaking his head a bit and replying softly, “Probably not a good idea.”

A tapping on the glass suddenly made Owen look over, Claire angrily drumming with the pads of her fingers. He tried not to think about what it could mean but ultimately came up more concerned than before. Very seldom did she get truly upset without a reason. 

“Where is it?” 

Trying to lighten the mood, stupidly, Owen opted for sarcasm. 

“Is it in the basement? Or maybe the rec room.”

“It was just here, we were just here.” She headed swiftly over to another set of controls on the far wall, Eric continuing to eat his sandwich as he wheeled his chair out of her way. She pressed a few buttons Owen couldn’t see, and didn’t care to see, as he wandered to the far side. The noises behind him weren’t comforting.

“Oh, shit. That doesn’t make any sense,” a pause and a hard swallow, “these gates haven’t been opened in weeks.”

Owen had seen them right away, and the white lines across grey weren’t hard to notice. He looked at them carefully, not wanting to cause alarm before he was sure. Not unlike some animals, dinosaurs liked to mark their territories or grind their claws against stone to keep them sharp, or dull if they were dealing with young. But in this case the purpose was obvious.

“Were those claw marks always there?”

Claire met his gaze when he turned, pointing up at the wall. She took a few steady steps towards him, “You think it… oh God.” Owen’s heart sped up, suddenly hammering against his ribs. If a creature like that was on the loose, not much would be safe until she was back in captivity or dead. Claire seemed to be under a similar thought process as she sped up, heading towards the exit. “She has an implant in her back, I can track it from the control room.”

A lot of good that would do, though he kept that to himself. Owen looked back at the claw marks, trying to weigh his options. Getting someone to help him find any other evidence of escape or where she may have gone was first. There were still workers around outside, so he opted to ask them.

It took a while, but finally someone volunteered to come with him. Even empty, the paddock was scary in and of itself, apparently. “Hey, Eric, let’s go. Open up the doors. Me and Marco are gonna check it out.” The heavy set man nodded, fumbling with the console for a moment before opening the door. Heading down concrete steps, the three men entered the paddock.

Sun beat down on them instantly, the humidity pulling sweat onto them before they understood they weren’t dry. The plants were recognizable, most of which Owen had in the raptor enclosure. Good to keep cool and encourage water to pool beneath them, all good for hiding in. “So, this thing is big then?” He looked at Eric questioningly before scanning the ground for any prints or dropped scales to go by. The security guard nodded fervently, “Oh yeah, massive,” he swallowed thickly, “bigger than that Rexy, if I don’t miss my guess.” Owen nodded absently, straying to the side to check something out while Marco continued on to the damage on the wall. No scales, but the plants were certainly broken. He held up a twig, grimacing when he noticed the green beneath the bark. She couldn’t have gotten out more than a few hours ago, with detritus this fresh. “When was Claire here last?” They headed for the wall, cautiously. Eric scratched his arm, looking around wildly when a bird called above them. “Few hours. But with Masrani yesterday.” 

“Hey!” Marco gestured them over, holding his hard hat against his head as he looked up. Owen followed his gaze, noting that the marks went all the way to the top of the wall, and though not deep, clearly the way she had escaped. Curiously, he touched a claw mark as he considered. She had to be strong, to cut into them as deep as she had. Beside him, “You really think she could’ve climbed out?”

“Depends,” Owen murmured.

“On what?”

“What kind of dinosaur they cooked up in that lab.”

The heavy quiet was punctuated by the radio on Eric’s chest making static. He couldn’t make much of it out, just the paddock number they were in. Owen glanced at the man as he set the frequency proper, answering back casually.

“Yeah, what’s the problem?”

“It’s in the cage, it’s in there with you!”

“Go!”

Instinct taking hold, Owen turned to begin running for the door they had come through. Marco yelled out something, turning to run with him. Heart thundering in his ears, only his military training stopped him from pissing himself when he saw the monster step out onto the path in front of them. White scales and dark talons dug into the dirt and muscles rippled beneath her skin. Wide eyed and heart beating rapidly, Owen skidded to a halt with Marco, grabbing his arm briefly to pull him back in the direction they came. Eric had unlocked the massive gate and was in the process of squeezing through it before it was fully open. The ground shook with every step he took, and he heard a whistle in the air before the presence beside him was gone. Marco barely screamed before Owen heard the crunch of bone and gush of blood and organs spattering the ground. Adrenaline kept him running. To all disbelief he saw the doors begin to close again, the same slow pace they had opened. 

He didn’t really have a choice, it had to be enough time to make it. His legs propelled him through the doors, the Indominus roaring furiously as she made to reach him with her massive claws. He kept going, knowing he couldn’t outrun her. A jeep beside him provided cover, and he dove beneath it, ignoring the crunch of gravel digging into his chest as he rolled into the shadows. Fear pulsed through him with every heartbeat, and he moved only when she did to cover his sounds.

Her feet were heavily armoured with thick scales. The skin webbed between her toes not unlike that of a T-rex, pulled taught as she took a step towards where he was hiding. Breathing slowly, the only thing keeping him calm, horror began to creep into his heart as the beast turned towards the construction vehicle, Eric hiding at the front. She was on top of him. 

Owen looked at Eric, desperately wanting to call out. Deep in his gut he knew it didn’t matter. With a last kiss to his Lord, Indominus shoved the truck with her massive head, and snatched him in her jaw. From his place beneath the jeep, Owen didn’t see the carnage, but his ears gave him all the vision he needed. 

Thinking quick, he rolled onto his back and cut the tubes of the jeep above him, gasoline spilling out onto his hands and chest. He pressed it into the places he sweat the most; chest, beneath his arms, his groin. Anything to hide his scent, and still he feared it wasn’t enough. When it was done he lay perfectly still, doing his best to ignore the fact she had flipped the vehicle beside him like a pebble to his own boot. She circled the flipped truck, and he felt her getting closer. 

Indominus knelt down, jaws bloodied and hunks of meat and intestine caught between her teeth. Owen concentrated all his will on not moving, but was forced to turn his head when she breathed. The scent of dead was not unknown to him but it turned his stomach like nothing else. She tilted the truck up, letting it rock on its tired and God, Owen just hoped she didn’t push any harder. Angrily, Indominus inhaled the scent of gasoline one last time, before snarling and roaring out her displeasure. 

When her steps took her away from the vehicle and away from him, Owen looked up to confirm it, and then collapsed back onto the ground, finally allowing himself to be afraid. This hadn’t been a part of any training.

\---

The youngest Mitchell sat glumly, staring at the tiny screen where Jimmy Fallon explained how the ride worked. Zach focused more on driving, looking for any sort of scene with dinosaurs they could roll into ‘accidentally’. The video seemed aimed at a different age audience. 

“Where are they?” Gray pulled himself into a higher sitting position, looking out the window with a crease in his brow. Zach was about to reply when they spotted them. Huge dinosaurs, all herded together into one big field. Excitement bubbled up in his chest and Zach couldn’t fight the smile pulling at his lips. He turned to Gray, who looked at him with wide, excited eyes, before they turned back to the view in front of them.

A triceratops rested in the shade of a large tree, looking at them with no fear. Whether it was her size or simply that she was used to humans in giant spheres Zach didn’t know. What he did know was that there was nothing else on earth like the feeling he had then. Gray laughed gleefully, sitting forward as much as his seatbelt would allow, trying to press his hands against the sides of the glass. An enormous Apatosaurus lumbered passed them, chewing grass high above them, neck an elegant arc against the blue sky. Awe took over for excitement, and the brothers stared at the creatures with reverence. A stegosaurus, plates as large as dinner tables watched them as they rolled passed. 

His phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer when he saw the name. Feeling angry all over again, Zach answered.

“Hey Claire.”

“Zach? Th- -od. Is Gray th- -th y-”

“Yeah, I can’t really hear you. We’re in the,” a slight pause, “hamster ball.”

Any words came through more garbled than the first had, and Zach looked at his phone to check his bars before putting it back to his ear.

“Hello? Hello?”

Nothing.

“Huh.” He hung up, mildly irritated. She deserved every bit of trouble that came her way, in his opinion. A machine-generated voice came from the screen and ruined any remaining peace they had gained.

“Due to technical difficulties, all our rides are now closed. Please disembark all rides, and return to the resort.”

Gray sighed deeply, his eyes falling to his shoes instead of the wonder around them and Zach felt his heart break. 

“Come on! No, we can stay out for a couple more minutes.”

“But they said it was closed.”

“Aunt Claire gave us special wrist bands, right? VIP dude.” He sounded a lot more sure than he felt, but was determined to make Gray happy again. To see him smile his goofy dumb smile and laugh like children his age should.

Straightening his back, Zach looked back out into the field. “Come on, it’ll be fun.” He pushed the handle forward and urged the ball to go as fast as it could, startled to find that the dinosaurs began to run with them and match their speed. Some went faster and lead the way, and Gray watched again with excitement as they stormed passed. Zach grinned, following a well-worn path in the grass as they went. 

Eventually the dinosaurs outran them, and turned in a wide arc to return back to their field. Zach slowed down, smacking Gray’s arm lightly and receiving one back in affection. The ball rolled to a slow stop, and the exhilaration Zach felt still thundered in his veins. A metal fence circled the enclosure, and at the end of the path a gate lay mangled in the grass. He paused, looking at the damage. Probably some guy came into work drunk and hit the thing.

“Dude, off road.”

“But they said we had to go back.”

“Y’know I’m just worried you’re not getting the whole Jurassic World experience.”   
He grinned at Gray, raising a single finger to his lips. “Shhh…”

Zach knew it was a good idea. And if anyone said that teenagers under the influence of extreme excitement and determination made bad decisions, let them be damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry it's taken me so damn long to update. I promise I'll finish it! Please let me know what you think and what you want to see next. I still have a bunch of prompts written down to write, but if there are any more don't hesitate to leave them!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks guys!


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